
Class __ . 

Book. L 

GopyiigMN 

CGESEIGHT DEPQSm 



A FIRST BOOK 
IN ENGLISH 



BY 

ALFRED ALLAN KERN, Ph.D. 

(Johns Hopkins) 

Professor of English in Millsaps College 

and 

STUART GRAYSON NOBLE, A.M. 

(Chicago) 
Headmaster of the Millsaps Preparatory School 



THE SOUTHERN PUBLISHING COMPANY 

DALLAS, TEXAS 






Copyright, 1916 
By THE SOUTHERN PUBLISHING COMPANY 




SEP 16-1916 



W. F. BRAINARD 

BOOK MANUFACTURER 
NEW YORK 



©CI.A438420 



PREFACE 

The present volume is based upon the belief that gram- 
mar, composition, and literature are not three separate 
and distinct subjects, but merely three inter-related divisions 
of the same subject — English. If this be so, they should 
not be studied separately but together ; only in this way can 
their true relation be brought out. 

Teachers of the classics and the romance languages, as 
well as teachers of English, are unanimous in their opinion 
that the greatest hindrance to the effective teaching of 
language at the present time is the student's ignorance of 
English grammar. We have, therefore, placed the section 
on grammar first instead of last, and have sought to make 
it fill a place between the brief review of grammar that 
is occasionally appended to books on composition and the 
more complete treatises on the subject. As a further aid to 
the study of grammar in other languages and in keeping 
with the recommendation of the National Education As- 
sociation, Universal Nomenclature has been used. 

It has been taken for granted that the student who uses 
the book is already more or less familiar with grammatical 
terms, and therefore, the definition of these has been brief. 
The purpose has been to give in complete and, at the same 
time, concise form the fundamental rules of grammar, a 
clear understanding of which is essential to correct compo- 
sition. Throughout the section the inter-relation of gram- 
mar and composition has been stressed, and the student is 
shown how a knowledge of grammar is necessary before 
he can understand the rules of composition. 

iii 



IV PREFACE 

The section on composition has been written with a single 
aim — to teach the student how to write. It is intensely 
practical — and therefore teachable. Clear thinking as a 
necessity for clear writing is insisted upon throughout the 
book. The literature covers three of the classics which 
are recommended for reading and study. Constant refer- 
ence to it serves not only to illustrate the rules of compo- 
sition but also to impress upon the student the fact that lit- 
erature is nothing more than good composition. Further- 
more, by frequent reference to the literature the student 
becomes thoroughly familiar with it and its impression 
upon him is deepened. 

We wish gratefully to acknowledge our indebtedness to 
Superintendent Edward L. Bailey of the Jackson, Missis- 
sippi, Schools; Dr. W. F. Melton of Emory University; 
Dr. Killis Campbell of the University of Texas; and Dr. 
John A. Kern of Randolph Macon College, who by their 
helpful criticism have added materially to the value of the 
book. 

S. G. N. 
A. A. K. 



CONTENTS 

PART I 

PAGE 

I Rip Van Winkle i 

II Letter- Writing 20 

III Nouns 28 

IV The Legend of Sleepy Hollow .... 38 
V Pronouns 71 

VI The Spectre Bridegroom 85 

VII Adjectives 102 

VIII Christmas . 110 

IX Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 

X Christmas Eve 153 

XI Adverbs 166 

XII Christmas Day 170 

XIII Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjec- 

tions . . • . 185 

XIV The Christmas Dinner 195 

XV Variation in the Parts of Speech . . .211 

XVI Analysis of Sentences 213 

PART II 
COMPOSITION 

I Introduction . . " 223 

II The Courtship of Miles Standish . . . 227 

III Punctuation 2yy 

y 



VI CONTENTS 

PAGE 

IV The Great Stone Face 290 

V Words 313 

VI The Golden Touch . 327 

VII The Sentence . 345 

VIII Feathertop: A Moralized Legend . . . 363 

IX Narrative 386 

X Westminster Abbey . . ... . . . 393 

XI Description 405 

XII David Swan 412 

XIII Exposition 419 

XIV Argument 433 



A FIRST BOOK IN 
ENGLISH 

PART I 

1 

RIP VAN WINKLE 1 

A POSTHUMOUS WRITING OF DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKER 2 

i. Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember 
the Kaatskill mountains. They are a dismembered branch of 
the great Appalachian family, and are seen away to the west of 

1 Washington Irving, the first American man of letters, was born 
in New York in 1783. Even as a boy he was interested in literature 
and wrote verses and " moral essays." His first work to attract 
attention was A History of New York by Diedrich Knickerbocker, 
which was a humorous and more or less legendary account of the 
founding of the city. 

The years 1815-1832 were spent in European travel and during this 
time he wrote The Sketch Book, Bracebridge Hall, and Tales of a 
Traveller. These books were immediately popular in both America 
and England and firmly established Irving's fame as a writer. The 
last years of his stay abroad were spent in Spain, where he became 
deeply interested in Spanish literature and history, and as a result 
wrote The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, The Conquest 
of Granada, and The Alhambra. Upon his return to America he 
bought an old Dutch farmstead upon the Hudson, which he named 
Sunnyside. Here, among his friends and his books, he passed the 
remaining years of his life. 

The characteristics which manifested themselves in Irving' s per- 
sonality appear also in his writings. These are marked by a kindly 
humour, a tinge of romance, and an ease and grace of expression 



2 RIP VAN WINKLE 

the river, swelling up to a noble height, and lording it over the 
surrounding country. Every change of season, every change of 
weather, indeed, every hour of the day, produces some change 
in the magical hues and shapes of these mountains, and they are 
regarded by all the good wives, far and near, as perfect barome- 
ters. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed 
in blue and purple, and print their bold outlines on the clear even- 
ing sky ; but sometimes, when the rest of the landscape is cloud- 
less, they will gather a hood of gray vapors about their summits, 
which, in the last rays of the setting sun, will glow and light up 
like a crown of glory. 

2. At the foot of these fairy mountains, the voyager may have 
descried the light smoke curling up from a village, whose shingle- 
roofs gleam among the trees, just where the blue tints of the up- 
land melt away into the fresh green of the nearer landscape. It 
is a little village, of great antiquity, having been founded by some 
of the Dutch colonists in the early times of the province, just 
about the beginning of the government of the good Peter Stuy- 
vesant, 3 (may he rest in peace!) and there were some of the 
houses of the original settlers standing within a few years, built 
of small yellow bricks brought from Holland, having latticed 
windows and gable fronts, surmounted with weathercocks. 

3. In that same village, and in one of these very houses 
(which, to tell the precise truth, was sadly time-worn and 
weather-beaten), there lived, many years since, while the coun- 
try was yet a province of Great Britain, a simple, good-natured 
fellow, of the name of Rip Van Winkle. He was a descendant 
of the Van Winkles who figured so gallantly in the chivalrous 
days of Peter Stuyvesant, and accompanied him to the siege of 

which were new in American letters. His best known tales, " Rip 
Van Winkle " and " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," were among 
the first American short stories and still remain unsurpassed in 
American literature. 

2 Diedrich Knickerbocker: Irving wrote "A History of New 
York" and attributed the work to an old Dutchman of this name, 
who lived only in the imagination of the author. 

3 Peter Stuyvesant: Governor of New Netherlands from 1647 to 
1664. See history of the United States. 



RIP VAN WINKLE 3 

Fort Christina. 4 He inherited, however, but little of the martial 
character of his ancestors. I have observed that he was a sim- 
ple, good-natured man; he was, moreover, a kind neighbor, and 
an obedient, hen-pecked husband. Indeed, to the latter circum- 
stance might be owing that meekness of spirit which gained 
him such universal popularity ; for those men are most apt to be 
obsequious and conciliating abroad, who are under the discipline 
of shrews at home. Their tempers, doubtless, are rendered 
pliant and malleable in the fiery furnace of domestic tribulation ; 
and a curtain-lecture is worth all the sermons in the world for 
teaching the virtues of patience and long-suffering. A terma- 
gant wife may, therefore, in some respects, be considered a tol- 
erable blessing; and if so, Rip Van Winkle was thrice blessed. 

4. Certain it is, that he was a great favorite among all the 
good wives of the village, who, as usual with the amiable sex, 
took his part in all family squabbles; and never failed, when- 
ever they talked those matters over in their evening gossipings, 
to lay all the blame on Dame Van Winkle. The children of the 
village, too, would shout with joy whenever he approached. He 
assisted at their sports, made their playthings, taught them to fly 
kites and shoot marbles, and told them long stories of ghosts, 
witches, and Indians. Whenever he went dodging about the 
village, he was surrounded by a troop of them, hanging on his 
skirts, clambering on his back, and playing a thousand tricks 
on him with impunity ; and not a dog would bark at him through- 
out the neighborhood. 

5. The great error in Rip's composition was an insuperable 
aversion to all kinds of profitable labor. It could not be from 
the want of assiduity or perseverance ; for he would sit on a wet 
rock, with a rod as long and heavy as a Tartar's lance, and fish 
all day without a murmur, even though he should not be encour- 
aged by a single nibble. He would carry a fowling-piece on his 
shoulder for hours together, trudging through woods and swamps, 
and up hill and down dale, to shoot a few squirrels or wild pig- 
eons. He would never refuse to assist a neighbor in even the 

4 Fort Christina: Established by the Swedish colony in Delaware, 
and surrendered to the Dutch under Peter Stuyvesant. 



4 RIP VAN WINKLE 

roughest toil, and was a foremost man at all country frolics for 
husking Indian corn, or building stone fences; the women of 
the village, too, used to employ him to run their errands, and to 
do such little odd jobs as their less obliging husbands would not do 
for them. In a word, Rip was ready to attend to anybody's busi- 
ness but his own; but as to doing family duty, and keeping his 
farm in order, he found it impossible. 

6. In fact, he declared it was of no use to work on his farm ; 
it was the most pestilent little piece of ground in the whole coun- 
try; everything about it went wrong, and would go wrong, in 
spite of him. His fences were continually falling to pieces; his 
cow would either go astray, or get among the cabbages; weeds 
were sure to grow quicker in his fields than anywhere else; the 
rain always made a point of setting in just as he had some out- 
door work to do; so that though his patrimonial estate had 
dwindled away under his management, acre by acre, until there 
was little more left than a mere patch of Indian corn and potatoes, 
yet it was the worst conditioned farm in the neighborhood. 

7. His children, too, were as ragged and wild as if they be- 
longed to nobody. His son Rip, an urchin begotten in his own 
likeness, promised to inherit the habits, with the old clothes, of his 
father. He was generally seen trooping like a colt at his mother's 
heels, equipped in a pair of his father's cast-off galligaskins, 5 
which he had much ado to hold up with one hand, as a fine lady 
does her train in had weather. 

8. Rip Van Winkle, however, was one of those happy mortals, 
of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat 
white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or 
trouble, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a 
pound. If left to himself, he would have whistled life away in 
perfect contentment ; but his wife kept continually dinning in his 
ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and the ruin he was 
bringing on his family. Morning, noon, and night, her tongue 
was incessantly going, and everything he said or did was sure 
to produce a torrent of household eloquence. Rip had but one 
way of replying to .all lectures of the kind, and that, by frequent 

5 Galligaskins: Loose hose or breeches. 



RIP VAN WINKLE 5 

use, had grown into a habit. He shrugged his shoulders, shook 
his head, cast up his eyes, but said nothing. This, however, al- 
ways provoked a fresh volley from his wife; so that he was fain 
to draw off his forces, and take to the outside of the house — the 
only side which, in truth, belongs to a hen-pecked husband. 

9. Rip's sole domestic adherent was his dog Wolf, who was 
as much hen-pecked as his master; for Dame Van Winkle re- 
garded them as companions in idleness, and even looked upon 
Wolf with an evil eye, as the cause of his master's going so often 
astray. True it is, in all points of spirit befitting an honorable 
dog, he was as courageous an animal as ever scoured the woods ; 
but what courage can withstand the ever-during and all-besetting 
terrors of a woman's tongue? The moment Wolf entered the 
house his crest fell, his tail drooped to the ground, or curled 
between his legs, he sneaked about with a gallows air, 6 casting 
many a sidelong glance at Dame Van Winkle, and at the least 
flourish of a broomstick or ladle he would fly to the door with 
yelping precipitation. 

10. Times grew worse and worse with Rip Van Winkle as years 
of matrimony rolled on; a tart temper never mellows with age, 
and a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with 
constant use. For a long while he used to console himself, when 
driven from home, by frequenting a kind of perpetual club of the 
sages, philosophers, and other idle personages of the village, 
which held its sessions on a bench before a small inn, designated 
by a rubicund portrait of His Majesty George the Third. 7 Here 
they used to sit in the shade through a long, lazy summer's day, 
talking listlessly over village gossip, or telling endless sleepy 
stories about nothing. But it would have been worth any states- 
man's money to have heard the profound discussions that some- 
times took place, when by chance an old newspaper fell into their 
hands from some passing traveller. How solemnly they would 
listen to the contents, as drawled out by Derrick Van Bummel, 

6 Gallows air: The air of a person who thinks he deserves to be 
hanged. 

7 His Majesty George the Third: King of Great Britain during 
the American Revolution. 



6 RIP VAN WINKLE 

the schoolmaster, a dapper learned little man, who was not to be 
daunted by the most gigantic word in the dictionary; and how 
sagely they would deliberate upon public events some months after 
they had taken place. 

ii. The opinions of this junto were completely controlled by 
Nicholas Vedder, a patriarch of the village, and landlord of the 
inn, at the door of which he took his seat from morning till night, 
just moving sufficiently to avoid the sun and keep in the shade 
of a large tree ; so that the neighbors could tell the hour by his 
movements as accurately as by a sun-dial. It is true he was 
rarely heard to speak, but smoked his pipe incessantly. His ad- 
herents, however (for every great man has his adherents), per- 
fectly understood him, and knew how to gather his opinions. 
When anything that was read or related displeased him, he was 
observed to smoke his pipe vehemently, and to send forth short, 
frequent, and angry puffs; but when pleased, he would inhale 
the smoke slowly and tranquilly, and emit it in light and placid 
clouds ; and sometimes, taking the pipe from his mouth, and let- 
ting the fragrant vapor curl about his nose, would gravely nod 
his head in token of perfect approbation. 

12. From even this stronghold the unlucky Rip was at length 
routed by his termagant wife, who would suddenly break in upon 
the tranquillity of the assemblage and call the members all to 
naught; nor was that august personage, Nicholas Vedder him- 
self, sacred from the daring tongue of this terrible virago, who 
charged him outright with encouraging her husband in habits of 
idleness. 

13. Poor Rip was at last reduced almost to despair; and his 
only alternative, to escape from the labor of the farm and clamor 
of his wife, was to take gun in hand and stroll away into the 
woods. Here he would sometimes seat himself at the foot of a 
tree, and share the contents of his wallet with Wolf, with whom 
he sympathized as a fellow-sufferer in persecution. " Poor 
Wolf," he would say, " thy mistress leads thee a dog's life of it ; 
but never mind, my lad, whilst I live thou shalt never want a 
friend to stand by thee ! " Wolf would wag his tail, look wistfully 



RIP VAN WINKLE 7 

in his master's face ; and if dogs can feel pity, I verily believe he 
reciprocated the sentiment with all his heart. 

14. In a long ramble, of the kind on a fine autumnal day, Rip 
had unconsciously scrambled to one of the highest parts of the 
Kaatskill mountains. He was after his favorite sport of squirrel- 
shooting, and the still solitudes had echoed and reechoed with 
the reports of his gun. Panting and fatigued, he threw himself, 
late in the afternoon, on a green knoll, covered with mountain 
herbage, that crowned the brow of a precipice. From an opening 
between the trees he could overlook all the lower country for 
many a mile of rich woodland. He saw at a distance the lordly 
Hudson, far, far below him, moving on its silent but majestic 
course, with the reflection of a purple cloud, or the sail of a lag- 
ging bark, here and there sleeping on its glassy bosom, and at 
last losing itself in the blue highlands. 

15. On the other side he looked down into a deep mountain 
glen, wild, lonely, and shagged, the bottom filled with fragments 
from the impending cliffs, and scarcely lighted by the reflected 
rays of the setting sun. For some time Rip lay musing on this 
scene; evening was gradually advancing; the mountains began 
to throw their long blue shadows over the valleys ; he saw that it 
would be dark long before he could reach the village, and he 
heaved a heavy sigh when he thought of encountering the terrors 
of Dame Van Winkle. 

16. As he was about to descend, he heard a voice from a dis- 
tance, hallooing, " Rip Van Winkle ! Rip Van Winkle ! " He 
looked round, but could see nothing but a crow winging its soli- 
tary flight across the mountain. He thought his fancy must 
have deceived him, and turned again to descend, when he heard 
the same cry ring though the still evening air : " Rip Van 
Winkle ! Rip Van Winkle ! " — at the same time Wolf bristled up 
his back, and giving a low growl, skulked to his master's side, 
looking fearfully down into the glen. Rip now felt a vague appre- 
hension stealing over him ; he looked anxiously in the same direc- 
tion, and perceived a strange figure slowly toiling up the rocks, 
and bending under the weight of something he carried on his back. 
He was surprised to see any human being in this lonely and un- 



8 RIP VAN WINKLE 

frequented place ; but supposing it to be some one of the neighbor- 
hood in need of his assistance, he hastened down to yield it. 

17. On nearer approach he was still more surprised at the 
singularity of the stranger's appearance. He was a short, square- 
built old fellow, with thick bushy hair, and a grizzled beard. His 
dress was of the antique Dutch fashion, — a cloth jerkin strapped 
round the waist — several pair of breeches, the outer one of 
ample volume, decorated with rows of buttons down the sides, 
and bunches at the knees. He bore on his shoulder a stout keg, 
that seemed full of liquor, and made signs for Rip to approach 
and assist him with the load. Though rather shy and distrustful 
of this new acquaintance, Rip complied with his usual alacrity; 
and mutually relieving one another, they clambered up a nar- 
row gully, apparently the dry bed of a mountain torrent. As 
they ascended, Rip every now and then heard long, rolling peals, 
like distant thunder, that seemed to issue out of a deep ravine, or 
rather cleft, between lofty rocks, toward which their rugged path 
conducted. He paused for an instant, but supposing it to be the 
muttering of one of those transient thunder-showers which often 
take place in mountain heights he proceeded. Passing through 
the ravine, they came to a hollow like a small amphitheatre, sur- 
rounded by perpendicular precipices, over the brinks of which 
impending trees shot their branches, so that you only caught 
glimpses of the azure sky and the bright evening cloud. During 
the whole time Rip and his companion had labored on in silence ; 
for though the former marvelled greatly what could be the object 
of carrying a keg of liquor up this wild mountain, yet there was 
something strange and incomprehensible about the unknown, that 
inspired awe and checked familiarity. 

18. On entering the amphitheatre, new objects of wonder pre- 
sented themselves. On a level spot in the centre was a company 
of odd-looking personages playing at ninepins. They were 
dressed in a quaint, outlandish fashion ; some wore short doublets, 
others jerkins, 8 with long knives in their belts and most of them 
had enormous breeches, of similar style with that of the guide's. 

8 Doublets . . . Jerkins: A doublet is a close-fitting body garment 
A jerkin is a jacket or short coat 



RIP VAN WINKLE 9 

Their visages, too, were peculiar : one had a large beard, broad 
face, and small piggish eyes ; the face of another seemed to con- 
sist entirely of nose, and was surmounted by a white sugar-loaf 
hat, set off with a red cock's tail. They all had beards, of various 
shapes and colors. There was one who seemed to be the com- 
mander. He was a stout old gentleman, with a weather-beaten 
countenance; he wore a laced doublet, broad belt and hanger, 
high crowned hat and feather, red stockings, and high-heeled 
shoes, with roses in them. The whole group reminded Rip of 
the figures in an old Flemish Q painting, in the parlor of Dominie 
Van Shaick, the village parson, and which had been brought 
over from Holland at the time of the settlement. 

19. What seemed particularly odd to Rip was, that, though 
these folks were evidently amusing themselves, yet they main- 
tained the gravest faces, the most mysterious silence, and were, 
withal, the most melancholy party of pleasure he had ever wit- 
nessed. Nothing interrupted the stillness of the scene but the 
noise of the balls, which, whenever they were rolled, echoed along 
the mountains like rumbling peals of thunder. 

20. As Rip and his companion approached them, they suddenly 
desisted from their play, and stared at him with such fixed, statue- 
like gaze, and such strange, uncouth, lack-lustre countenances, 
that his heart turned within him, and his knees smote together. 
His companion now emptied the contents of the keg into large 
flagons, and made signs to him to wait upon the company. He 
obeyed with fear and trembling ; they quaffed the liquor in pro- 
found silence, and then returned to their game. 

21. By degrees Rip's awe and apprehension subsided. He even 
ventured, when no eye was fixed upon him, to taste the beverage, 
which he found had much of the flavor of excellent Hollands. 
He was naturally a thirsty soul, and was soon tempted to repeat 
the draught. One taste provoked another ; and he reiterated his 
visits to the flagon so often that at length his senses were over- 
powered, his eyes swam in his head, his head gradually declined, 
and he fell into a deep sleep. 

9 Flemish painting: A painting from Flanders, a strip of territory 
now largely occupied by Holland and Belgium, 



10 RIP VAN WINKLE 

22. On waking, he found himself on the green knoll whence 
he had first seen the old man of the glen. He rubbed his eyes — 
it was a bright sunny morning. The birds were hopping and 
twittering among the bushes, and the eagle was wheeling aloft, 
and breasting the pure mountain breeze. " Surely/' thought Rip, 
" I have not slept here all night." He recalled the occurrences 
before he fell asleep. The strange man with a keg of liquor — 
the mountain ravine — the wild retreat among the rocks — the 
woe-begone party at ninepins — the flagon — " Oh ! that flagon ! 
that wicked flagon ! " thought Rip, — " what excuse shall I make to 
Dame Van Winkle ? " 

23. He looked round for his gun, but in place of the clean, 
well-oiled fowling-piece, he found an old firelock lying by him, 
the barrel incrusted with rust, the lock falling off, and the stock 
worm-eaten. He now suspected that the grave roisters of the 
mountain had put a trick upon him, and having dosed him with 
liquor, had robbed him of his gun. Wolf, too, had disappeared, 
but he might have strayed away after a squirrel or partridge. He 
whistled after him, and shouted his name, but all in vain; the 
echoes repeated his whistle and shout, but no dog was to be seen. 

24. He determined to revisit the scene of the last evening's 
gambol, and if he met with any of the party, to demand his dog 
and gun. As he rose to walk, he found himself stiff in the joints, 
and wanting in his usual activity. " These mountain beds do 
not agree with me," thought Rip, " and if this frolic should lay 
me up with a fit of the rheumatism, I shall have a blessed time 
with Dame Van Winkle." With some difficulty he got down into 
the glen : he found the gully up which he and his companion had 
ascended the preceding evening; but to his astonishment a moun- 
tain stream was now foaming down it, leaping from rock to rock, 
and filling the glen with babbling murmurs. He, however, made 
shift to scramble up its sides, working his toilsome way through 
thickets of birch, sassafras, and witch-hazel, and sometimes 
tripped up or entangled by the wild grape-vines that twisted their 
coils or tendrils from tree to tree, and spread a kind of network 
in his path. 

25. At length he reached to where the ravine had opened 



RIP VAN WINKLE II 

through the cliffs to the amphitheatre ; but no traces of such open- 
ing remained. The rocks presented a high, impenetrable wall, 
over which the torrent came tumbling in a sheet of feathery foam, 
and fell into a broad deep basin, black from the shadows of the 
surrounding forest. Here, then, poor Rip was brought to a 
stand. He again called and whistled after his dog; he was only 
answered by the cawing of a flock of idle crows, sporting high 
in air about a dry tree that overhung a sunny precipice ; and who, 
secure in their elevation, seemed to look down and scoff at the 
poor man's perplexities. What was to be done ? the morning was 
passing away, and Rip felt famished for want of his breakfast. 
He grieved to give up his dog and gun ; he dreaded to meet his 
wife; but it would not do to starve among the mountains. He 
shook his head, shouldered the rusty firelock, and, with a heart 
full of trouble and anxiety, turned his steps homeward. 

26. As he approached the village he met a number of people, 
but none whom he knew, which somewhat surprised him, for he 
had thought himself acquainted with every one in the country 
round. Their dress, too, was of a different fashion from that 
to which he was accustomed. They all stared at him with equal 
marks of surprise, and whenever they cast their eyes upon him, 
invariably stroked their chins. The constant recurrence of this 
gesture induced Rip, involuntarily, to do the same, when, to his 
astonishment, he found his beard had grown a foot long ! 

2j. He had now entered the skirts of the village. A troop 
of strange children ran at his heels, hooting after him, and point- 
ing at his gray beard. The dogs, too, not one of which he recog- 
nized for an old acquaintance, barked at him as he passed. The 
very village was altered ; it was larger and more populous. There 
were rows of houses which he had never seen before, and those 
which had been his familiar haunts had disappeared. Strange 
names were over the doors — strange faces at the windows — 
everything was strange. His mind now misgave him ; he began 
to doubt whether both he and the world around him were not 
bewitched. Surely this was his native village, which he had left 
but the day before. There stood the Kaatskill mountains — there 
ran the silver Hudson at a distance — there was every hill and 



12 RIP VAN WINKLE 

dale precisely as it had always been. Rip was sorely perplexed. 
" That flagon last night/' thought he, " has addled my poor head 
sadly!" 

28. It was with some difficulty that he found the way to his 
own house, which he approached with silent awe, expecting every 
moment to hear the shrill voice of Dame Van Winkle. He found 
the house gone to decay — the roof fallen in, the windows shat- 
tered, and the doors off the hinges. A half-starved dog that 
looked like Wolf was skulking about it. Rip called him by name, 
but the cur snarled, showed his teeth, and passed on. This was 
an unkind cut indeed. " My very dog/' sighed poor Rip, " has 
forgotten me ! " 

29. He entered the house, which, to tell the truth, Dame Van 
Winkle had always kept in neat order. It was empty, forlorn, and 
apparently abandoned. This desolateness overcame all his con- 
nubial fears — he called loudly for his wife and children — the 
lonely chambers rang for a moment with his voice, and then all 
again was silence. 

30. He now hurried forth, and hastened to his old resort, the 
village inn — but it too was gone. A large rickety wooden build- 
ing stood in its place, with great gaping windows, some of them 
broken and mended with old hats and petticoats, and over the 
door was painted, " The Union Hotel, by Jonathan Doolittle. ,, 
Instead of the great tree that used to shelter the quiet little 
Dutch inn of yore, there now was reared a tall naked pole, with 
something on the top that looked like a red night-cap, and from 
it was fluttering a flag, on which was a singular assemblage of 
stars and stripes ; — all this was strange and incomprehensible. 
He recognized on the sign, however, the ruby face of King 
George, under which he had smoked so many a peaceful pipe; 
but even this was singularly metamorphosed. The red coat was 
changed for one of blue and buff, a sword was held in the hand 
instead of a sceptre, the head was decorated with a cocked hat, 
and underneath was painted in large characters, General Wash- 
ington. 

31. There was, as usual, a crowd of folk about the door, but 
none that Rip recollected. The very character of the people 



RIP VAN WINKLE 13 

seemed changed. There was a busy, bustling, disputatious tone 
about it, instead of the accustomed phlegm and drowsy tranquil- 
lity. He looked in vain for the sage Nicholas Vedder, with his 
broad face, double chin, and fair long pipe, uttering clouds of 
tobacco-smoke instead of idle speeches; or Van Bummel, the 
schoolmaster, doling forth the contents of an ancient newspaper. 
In place of these, a lean, bilious-looking fellow, with his pockets 
full of hand-bills, was haranguing vehemently about rights of 
citizens — elections — members of congress — liberty — Bunk- 
er's Hill — heroes of seventy-six — and other words, which 
were a perfect Babylonish jargon to the bewildered Van Win- 
kle. 

32. The appearance of Rip, with his long, grizzled beard, his 
rusty fowling-piece, his uncouth dress, and an army of women 
and children at his heels, soon attracted the attention of the tav- 
ern-politicians. They crowded round him, eyeing him from head 
to foot with great curiosity. The orator bustled up to him, and, 
drawing him partly aside, inquired " On which side he voted? " 
Rip stared in vacant stupidity. Another short but busy little 
fellow pulled him by the arm, and, rising on tiptoe, inquired in his 
ear, " Whether he was Federal or Democrat ? " 10 Rip was 
equally at a loss to comprehend the question; when a knowing, 
self-important old gentleman, in a sharp cocked hat, made his 
way through the crowd, putting them to the right and left with 
his elbows as he passed, and planting himself before Van Winkle, 
with one arm akimbo, the other resting on his cane, his keen 
eyes and sharp hat penetrating, as it were, into his very soul, 
demanded in an austere tone, " What brought him to the election 
with a gun on his shoulder, and a mob at his heels; and whether 
he meant to breed a riot in the village ? " — "Alas! gentlemen/' 
cried Rip, somewhat dismayed, " I am a poor quiet man, a native 
of the place, and a loyal subject of the King, God bless him! " 

33. Here a general shout burst from the by-standers — " A 

10 Federal or Democrat: The first political parties of the United 
States were the Federalist party, of which Alexander Hamilton was 
the leader; and the Republican or Democratic party, of which 
Thomas Jefferson was the leader. 



14 RIP VAN WINKLE 

tory ! a tory ! a spy ! a refugee ! hustle him ! away with him ! " It 
was with great difficulty that the self-important man in the cocked 
hat restored order; and, having assumed a tenfold austerity of 
brow, demanded again of the unknown culprit, what he came 
there for, and whom he was seeking? The poor man humbly 
assured him that he meant no harm, but merely came there in 
search of some of his neighbors, who used to keep about the 
tavern. 

" Well — who are they ? — name them." 

Rip bethought himself a moment, and inquired, " Where's 
Nicholas Vedder?" 

34. There was a silence for a little while, when an old man re- 
plied, in a thin piping voice, " Nicholas Vedder ! why, he is dead 
and gone these eighteen years ! There was a wooden tombstone 
in the churchyard that used to tell all about him, but that's rotten 
and gone too." 

" Where's Brom Dutcher ? " 

" Oh, he went off to the army in the beginning of the war ; some 
say he was killed at the storming of Stony Point " — others say 
he was drowned in a squall at the foot of Antony's Nose. I don't 
know — he never came back again." 

" Where's Van Bummel, the schoolmaster? " 

" He went off to the wars too, was a great militia general, and 
is now in congress." 

35. Rip's heart died away at hearing of these sad changes in 
his home and friends, and finding himself thus alone in the world. 
Every answer puzzled him too, by treating of such enormous 
lapses of time, and of matters which he could not understand: 
war — congress — Stony Point — he had no courage to ask after 
any more friends, but cried out in despair, " Does nobody here 
know Rip Van Winkle? " 

" Oh, Rip Van Winkle ! " exclaimed two or three, " oh, to be 
sure ! that's Rip Van Winkle yonder, leaning against the tree." 

36. Rip looked, and beheld a precise counterpart of himself, as 

11 Stony Point: A stronghold of the British on the Hudson, cap- 
tured by "Mad" Anthony Wayne in 1779. Antony's Nose is a 
promontory a few miles above Stony Point. 



RIP VAN WINKLE IS 

he went up the mountain; apparently as lazy, and certainly as 
ragged. The poor fellow was now completely confounded. He 
doubted his own identity, and whether he was himself or another 
man. In the midst of his bewilderment, the man in the cocked 
hat demanded who he was, and what was his name. 

37. " God knows," exclaimed he, at his wit's end ; " I'm not 
myself — I'm somebody else- — that's me yonder — no — that's 
somebody else got into my shoes — I was myself last night, but I 
fell asleep on the mountain, and they've changed my gun, and 
everything's changed, and I'm changed, and I can't tell what's my 
name, or who I am ! " 

38. The by-standers began now to look at each other, nod, wink 
significantly, and tap their fingers against their foreheads. There 
was a whisper, also, about securing the gun, and keeping the 
old fellow from doing mischief, at the very suggestion of which 
the self-important man in the cocked hat retired with some pre- 
cipitation. At this critical moment a fresh, comely woman 
pressed through the throng to get a peep at the gray-bearded man. 
She had a chubby child in her arms, which frightened at his looks, 
began to cry. " Hush, Rip," cried she, " hush, you little fool ; the 
old man won't hurt you." The name of the child, the air of the 
mother, the tone of her voice, all awakened a train of recollections 
in his mind. " What is your name, my good woman ? " asked he. 

" Judith Gardenier." 

" And your father's name ? " 

" Ah, poor man, Rip Van Winkle was his name, but it's twenty 
years since he went away from home with his gun, and never has 
been heard of since, — his dog came home without him ; but 
whether he shot himself, or was carried away by the Indians, 
nobody can tell. I was then but a little girl." 

39. Rip had but one question more to ask ; but he put it with a 
faltering voice : 

" Where's your mother? " 

" Oh, she too had died but a short time since ; she broke a blood- 
vessel in a fit of passion at a New-England peddler." 

40. There was a drop of comfort, at least, in this intelligence. 
The honest man could contain himself no longer. He caught 



16 RIP VAN WINKLE 

his daughter and her child in his arms. " I am your father ! M 
cried he — "Young Rip Van Winkle once — old Rip Van Winkle 
now ! — Does nobody know poor Rip Van Winkle ? " 

41. All stood amazed, until an old woman, tottering out from 
among the crowd, put her hand to her brow, and peering under 
it in his face for a moment, exclaimed, " Sure enough ! it is Rip 
Van Winkle — it is himself! Welcome home again, old neigh- 
bor. Why, where have you been these twenty long years ? " 

42. Rip's story was soon told, for the whole twenty years had 
been to him but as one night. The neighbors stared when they 
heard it; some were seen to wink at each other, and put their 
tongues in their cheeks : and the self-important man in the cocked 
hat, who, when the alarm was over, had returned to the field, 
screwed down the corners of his mouth, and shook his head — 
upon which there was a general shaking of the head throughout 
the assemblage. 

43. It was determined, however, to take the opinion of old 
Peter Vanderdonk, who was seen slowly advancing up the road. 
He was a descendant of the historian of that name, who wrote 
one of the earliest accounts of the province. Peter was the most 
ancient inhabitant of the village, and well versed in all the won- 
derful events and traditions of the neighborhood. He recollected 
Rip at once, and corroborated his story in the most satisfactory 
manner. He assured the company that it was a fact, handed 
down from his ancestor the historian, that the Kaatskill moun- 
tains had always been haunted by strange beings. That it was 
affirmed that the great Hendrick Hudson, the first discoverer of 
the river and country, kept a kind of vigil there every twenty 
years, with his crew of the Half-moon; being permitted in this 
way to revisit the scenes of his enterprise, and keep a guardian 
eye upon the river and the great city called by his name. That 
his father had once seen them in their old Dutch dresses playing 
at ninepins in a hollow of the mountain; and that he himself 
had heard, one summer afternoon, the sound of their balls, like 
distant peals of thunder. 

44. To make a long story short, the company broke up and re- 
turned to the more important concerns of the election. Rip's 



RIP VAN WINKLE 17 

daughter took him home to live with her; she had a snug, well- 
furnished house, and a stout, cheery farmer for a husband, whom 
Rip recollected for one of the urchins that used to climb upon his 
back. As to Rip's son and heir, who was the ditto of himself, 
seen leaning against the tree, he was employed to work on the 
farm ; but evinced an hereditary disposition to attend to anything 
else but his business. 

45. Rip now resumed his old walks and habits ; he soon found 
many of his former cronies, though all rather the worse for the 
wear and tear of time ; and preferred making friends among the 
rising generation, with whom he soon grew into great favor. 

46. Having nothing to do at home, and being arrived at that 
happy age when a man can be idle with impunity, he took his 
place once more on the bench at the inn-door, and was reverenced 
as one of the patriarchs of the village, and a chronicle of the old 
times " before the war." It was some time before he could get 
into the regular track of gossip, or could be made to comprehend 
the strange events that had taken place during his torpor. How 
that there had been a revolutionary war, — that the country had 
thrown off the yoke of old England, — and that, instead of being 
a subject of his Majesty George the Third, he was now a free 
citizen of the United States. Rip, in fact, was no politician ; the 
changes of states and empires made but little impression on him ; 
but there was one species of despotism under which he had long 
groaned, and that was — petticoat government. Happily that 
was at an end ; he had got his neck out of the yoke of matrimony, 
and could go in and out whenever he pleased, without dreading 
the tyranny of Dame Van Winkle. Whenever her name was 
mentioned, however, he shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, 
and cast up his eyes ; which might pass either for an expression 
of resignation to his fate, or joy at his deliverance. 

47. He used to tell his story to every stranger that arrived 
at Mr. Doolittle's hotel. He was observed, at first, to vary on 
some points every time he told it, which was, doubtless, owing to 
his having so recently awaked. It at last settled down precisely 
to the tale I have related, and not a man, woman, or child in the 
neighborhood but knew it by heart. Some always pretended to 



18 RIP VAN WINKLE 

doubt the reality of it, and insisted that Rip had been out of his 
head, and that this was one point on which he always remained 
flighty. The old Dutch inhabitants, however, almost universally 
gave it full credit. Even to this day they never hear a thunder- 
storm of a summer afternoon about the Kaatskill, but they say 
Hendrick Hudson and his crew are at their game of ninepins ; and 
it is a common wish of all hen-pecked husbands in the neighbor- 
hood, when life hangs heavy on their hands, that they might have 
a quieting draught out of Rip Van Winkle's flagon. 

RIP VAN WINKLE 

Class Discussion 

To the Teacher. — To teach this book properly, the teacher 
should have the pupils read the selections from literature in the 
order in which they have been arranged. Otherwise the pupils 
will not understand the references which will appear from time to 
time in the examples and exercises. The discussion in class will 
furnish a pleasant hour in which the appreciation of good litera- 
ture may be developed. Sometimes it will be necessary to devote 
two or more recitations to the discussion of a single selection. 
The questions below may serve as a guide to the discussion. 

In what part of the country is the scene of the story laid? 
What is the time of the story? With what class of people 
does it deal ? What characters mentioned in history are re- 
ferred to ? What places familiar from your study of geog- 
raphy do you notice ? 

Is the description of Rip true to life? Have you ever 
known any one who resembled Rip in respect to habits? 
Does Wolf act like a real dog? Do you blame Dame Van 
Winkle for her treatment of Rip ? Is there a loafing place 
in your town similar to the one described in paragraph 10? 

Does the strange conduct of the Dutchmen at their game 
lead you to believe that something unusual is about to hap- 



RIP VAN WINKLE 19 

pen? What hints are given as to the ghostly nature of the 
place where Rip went to sleep ? 

Note the changes that had taken place while Rip was 
asleep. Ask some old inhabitant what changes have taken 
place in your community in the last twenty years. Imagine 
that you awoke to-day after sleeping twenty years and ob- 
served these changes : would you be less bewildered than 
Rip? 

Are you satisfied with the way the story ends? As a 
whole, does it please you? Would you like to read other 
stories like this? Irving has many good stories which are 
not printed in this book. 



II 

LETTER-WRITING 

Importance. The form of composition in which the stu- 
dent is apt to engage most frequently and to take the most 
interest is letter-writing. In fact, it is the only form of com- 
position that the majority of students will practice at all after 
leaving school. Furthermore, a man's letter, even more 
than his visiting card, is a representative of himself. He is 
judged by its appearance. If the letter be slovenly, illegible, 
and incorrect, he is naturally supposed to be careless and 
more or less illiterate. 

It is also true that the young writer can find no better ex- 
ercise in the art of composition than that afforded by letter- 
writing. Let him take care to observe the rules of gram- 
mar and composition as well as those of correspondence, and 
not only will his letters be more readable and hence more 
welcome, but he himself will receive valuable training in the 
art of putting his thoughts on paper. 

In writing a letter there are six points to be considered : 
i. Heading 4. Body of the letter 

2. Inside address 5. Close 

3. Salutation 6. Outside address. 
Heading. The heading should be placed in the upper 

right-hand corner about an inch from the top of the sheet. 
Put the entire heading here, not part at the beginning of the 
letter and part at the close. The address should be complete 
enough to be used in case the letter requires a reply. 

If the address contains a street or similar direction, this 

20 



LETTER-WRITING 21 

should precede the name of the city; house numbers should 
be written in figures, and street numbers under one hundred 
should be spelled out. The date should follow the name of 
the city. The heading may be placed on one, two, or three 
lines, according to its length and to the size of the letter- 
sheet. Commas should be used to separate the different 
items within the line and may also be placed at the end of 
each line save the last ; this should end with a period. The 
sign "#" should not be used, nor should the word "Street" 
be omitted. 

Abbreviations are always in poor taste and should be 
avoided in all parts of the letter; therefore, do not use fig- 
ures for the names of the months nor abbreviate the figures 
which denote the year. Do not write 3/14/ '16, but March 
14, 1916. The following headings are correct: 

232 North Twenty-third Street, 
Detroit, Michigan, 
June 10, 1916. 

Columbia, Missouri, 
October 19, 1916. 

Jackson, Mississippi, May 12, 1916. 

Inside Address. The inside address consists of the name 
and address of the person to whom the letter is written. The 
first line of the address should begin about a half-inch 
from the left side of the sheet (the margin varies according 
to the size of the sheet) and two or more lines lower than 
the heading; each succeeding line should begin slightly to 
the right of the line above it. In typewritten letters the first 
line of the address should begin one inch from the edge of 
the sheet; the succeeding lines may either be indented or be- 
gin at the same distance from the edge as the first line. 



22 LETTER-WRITING 

In informal personal letters the inside address is usually 
omitted; in formal personal letters the inside address is 
placed at the end of the letter. It should never be omitted 
in a business letter but should be given in full — that is to 
say, the name and address of the firm. The street address 
is not necessary, though it is perfectly proper to give it. Do 
not omit the title of the person addressed nor abbreviate it 
unless it is Mr., Mrs., Messrs., or Dr. Write Messrs. A. G. 
Spalding and Company, not A. G. Spalding & Co.; The 
Dixon Graphite Company, not Dixon Graphite Co.; Mr. 
John H. Mason, not John H. Mason. Do not use the hus- 
band's title in connection with the word Mrs. Do not write 
Mrs. Colonel R. K. Morton, but simply Mrs. R. K. Morton. 
The rules for punctuation and for the spelling of numbers 
are the same as those for the heading. 

Salutation. The inside address is followed by the saluta- 
tion. This should be placed even with the first line of the 
inside address. In purely business letters the salutation 
should be followed by a colon; in personal letters, either a 
colon or a comma may be used according to the degree of 
formality desired. For personal letters use such forms as : 

Dear Helen My dear Madam Dear Mr. Barr 

My dear Professor My dear little Cousin Djear Sir 

Do not use such expressions as: 

Respected Sir Dear Friend Friend Henry 

Note also that such a word as dear is spelled with a capital 
only when it is the first word of the salutation. The 
forms My dear Sir, Dear Sir, and the like may be used 
interchangeably; there is no real difference between the 
forms with My and those without it. The following forms 
are correct : 



LETTER-WRITING 23 

Messrs. Henry Holt and Company, 
• 34 West Thirty-third Street, 
New York, New York. 
Gentlemen : 

The Westbrook Manufacturing Company, 
Newark, 
New Jersey. 
Dear Sirs: 

Mr. R. T. Hunter, 
Ashland, 

Virginia. 
My dear Mr. Hunter, 

Body. The body of the letter should begin just below 
the end of the salutation. There should be a margin of 
about a half-inch on the left side of the sheet. Use white, 
unruled paper and black ink ; under no circumstances use a 
pencil. If the sheets are separate, number them, place them 
in order, and fold them to fit the envelope. 

In writing business letters it is the custom to write on one 
side of the sheet only. When replying to a business letter, 
begin by acknowledging its receipt, at the same time refer- 
ring to its date and its contents. Give each topic a separate 
paragraph in your letter. Make it your rule to answer all 
business letters at once. 

Remember that abbreviation is always in poor taste in 
formal writing of any sort. Do not omit the personal pro- 
noun and do not use the expression " the same " — use the 
proper pronoun in each case. Write, " I received your letter 
of yesterday, and in answer to it, I wish," etc. ; not, " Reed, 
yours of yesterday and in answer to same, wish to say," etc. 
It is better not to end your letter with a sentence beginning 
with a present participle ; as, " Hoping to hear from you 



24 LETTER-WRITING 

soon," etc. If you really mean it, write " I hope to hear 
from you soon." Do not make an excuse for closing your 
letter ; as, u I am sure you must be tired reading this scrawl " 
or " The dinner bell has rung and I must close." Such ex- 
cuses merely indicate that you are the one who is tired. 

Close. The close of the letter should be placed on a sep- 
arate line from the body of the letter, about midway from 
either edge of the sheet ; it should begin with a capital and 
end with a comma. 

Do not abbreviate the close — to write Yrs. respt, is dis- 
respectful. Do not use the forms And oblige, Yours, Yours 
etc., and Hastily. The signature should come below the 
close. A woman should place (Mrs.) or (Miss) in par- 
entheses before her signature. The following are proper 
phrases for closing business and personal letters : 

Sincerely , r ^ , 

An- .. j. 1 Yours truly 

Affectionately , r - 1t 

_ . , r „ Yours respectfully 

Faithfully yours , 7 - 

^ r , . Very truly yours 
Your loving son 

We regret that you could not come. 
Sincerely yours, 

H. A. Potter. 

Outside Address. The outside address should consist of 
three or more lines, the first of which should be written 
about the middle of the envelope; each succeeding line 
should begin slightly to the right of the line above it. The 
rules regarding punctuation and the spelling of numbers are 
the same as those for the heading. The rules for the use 
of titles in the inside address also apply here. 

It is advisable to put your own address in the upper left- 
hand corner of the envelope. The lower left-hand corner 
may be used for any special direction that may be necessary ; 



LETTER-WRITING 25 

as, Please forward or In care of Mr. /. H. Ford. The 
stamp should be placed in the upper right-hand corner, right 
side up, with its edges parallel to those of the envelope. 

Mr. J. C. Anderson, 
18 Park Avenue, 
Akron, Ohio. 

The Jayne Manufacturing Company, 
118 Commerce Street, 

Chicago, Illinois. 

Model. The following letter will serve as a model for 
business letters. 

2 College Avenue, 

Jackson, Mississippi, 
May 3, 1916. 
The Champlin Press, 

225 North Fourth Street, 
Columbus, Ohio. 
Gentlemen : 

Your letter of April 29 asking for the return of The Col- 
lege Annual Guide has been received. I am sending you 
the volume to-day by prepaid express, and wish to thank 
you for allowing me to examine it. 

Very truly yours, 

Carl H. Russell. 

Exercises, (a) Correct all mistakes in the following let- 
ters: 
1. Apr. 10th, 1916; 

Danville, Ga. 
Secretary 

Harvard Univ. 
Dear Sir, 
Will you please inform me when the entrance exams for 



26 LETTER- WRITING 

Harvard University will be held. Trusting that I may be 
able to pass a satisfactory examination, 
I am, 

Yours respt. 

John Mason 

Danville Military Academy 

2. 

Washington, D. C. 
Belmont Seminary 4/10/16 
Withers Printing Co., 
My dear Sir, 

Yours of recent date referring 
to shipment of our year-books reed, and in reply would say 
that they have arrived safely. Am delighted with them and 
am enclosing check for six hundred and seventy-two dollars 
and twenty-two cents ($672.22). Please send me a receipt 
for the same and oblige. 

Yours etc. 

Ethel Carlton. 
3. Meriden la 

Oct. 2 — 16 
Capt. H. M. Colmer 
Columbia Mo 
Dear sir Hoping to enter your school in a short 

while would like for you to send me a booklet on your self- 
help club. 

Yours Truly 

J. T. Carr 
P. O. Box 112 Meriden Iowa 

(b) Letter-writing is the most important form of com- 
position for the average student; it is therefore urged that 
none of these exercises be omitted. If desired, they may 
be assigned in connection with subsequent lessons. 



LETTER-WRITING 27 

1. Write a letter to a business firm applying for a position 
as clerk. 

2. Invite a friend to spend a week with you. 

3. Answer the invitation that you have just written. 

4. Write to the secretary of a college for a catalog. 

5. You are the manager of the high school football team. 
Write to the manager of the team in a neighboring town, 
asking him for a game. 

6. Order five different text-books from a publisher. 

7. You have met with an accident on a camping trip. 
Write to your sister about it. 

8. Reply to an advertisement of a farm for sale. 

9. Write a note to a friend asking if you may bring your 
schoolmate to call upon her. 

10. Reply to the note. 

11. Write a note thanking a friend for a Christmas present. 

12. Write a letter to your brother describing a new piece 
of farm machinery which you have seen. 

13. Write a letter to your teacher asking him to recommend 
you for a magazine agency. 

14. Advise a friend to read a book that you have read. 
Tell him why he should read it. 

15. Write a note of sympathy to a sick friend. 

16. Reply to such a note. 

17. Write a letter describing the beginning of your school 
work for this year. 

18. Assume that you are spending your vacation on a farm. 
Write your father about some of your experiences. 

19. Write a letter to the high school faculty asking that 
certain privileges be granted you. Give your reasons for 
making such request. 

20. Write to a girl friend describing a new dress that you 
are having made. 



Ill 

NOUNS 

Parts of Speech. Words are divided according to their 
use into eight groups, called Parts of Speech. 
Noun Pronoun Adjective Verb 

Adverb Preposition Conjunction Interjection 
Classes of Nouns. A noun is a word used as a name. 
Nouns are divided into two classes: Common and Proper. 
A common noun is a name which belongs to all of a class 
of persons, places, or things, or is used to name a quality, 
condition, or action. 

boy sweetness herd 

A proper noun is the name of some particular person, 
place, or thing. 

John December Paris 

Common nouns are divided into three classes : Concrete, 
Abstract, and Collective. A concrete noun is the name of a 
person, place, or thing. 

boy city book 

An abstract noun is the name of a quality, condition, or 
action. 

sweetness insanity studying 

A collective noun is the name of a collection of persons 
or things. 

herd class fleet 

In actual practice the distinction between common nouns 
and proper nouus, and between concrete, abstract, and col- 

28 



NOUNS 29 

lective nouns is seldom noticed. In many cases, indeed, it 
is difficult for even the grammarian to distinguish between 
abstract and concrete nouns, or to determine whether a 
given noun is collective or not. In the large majority of 
cases, however, the distinction is clear-cut and definite ; and 
it is well for the beginner to get these simple differences 
clearly fixed in his mind. This having been done, he may 
then go on to note the finer differences of meaning by which 
one class shades into another. 
Exercises. 

(a) Give five examples of collective nouns. 

(b) Find three examples of proper, concrete, and ab- 
stract nouns in paragraph 3 of " Rip Van 
Winkle." 

(c) Select and classify each noun in paragraphs 8 and 

9 of " Rip Van Winkle." 1 

Number. A noun is Singular or Plural according as it 
denotes one thing or more than one thing. The plural of 
most nouns is formed by adding -^ or -es to the singular. 
There are, however, many exceptions to this rule, most of 
w r hich are illustrated in the following exercises. 

Certain words whose plurals are irregular have by the 
law of analogy acquired regular forms also. We therefore 
have such double plurals as indices, indexes; formulae, 

1 This and some of the following exercises in the book may be 
varied by the assignment of other paragraphs or selections than those 
given in the text. The help which students may derive from the use 
of second-hand copies will thus be lessened. The teacher should 
require the pupils to write the exercises. These may then be exam- 
ined by the teacher and returned with the necessary corrections. If 
this is not practicable, the exercises should be corrected during the 
class recitation, each pupil correcting his own or another's exercise ; 
the exercises should be handed to the teacher at the close of the 
recitation in order that the grades may be recorded. In order to 
facilitate grading, the exercises have been arranged in multiples of 
five. 



30 NOUNS 

formulas; cherubim, cherubs; seraphim, seraphs; beaux, 
beaus ; brethren, brothers ; fish, fishes. 

When uncertain as to the plural form of a noun, the stu- 
dent should consult a dictionary. 

Exercises, (a) Give the plural form of each of the 
following nouns : boy, horse, gas, girl, fence, hero, wolf, 
chief, potato, wife, lily, chimney, thief, mercy, solo, body, 
army, deer, ox, goose, m, n, fly, Mr. Cook, necessity, virtue, 
people, hundred, piano, Japanese, child, calf, Miss Smith, 
alumnus, berry, series, Jones, basis, fairy, motto, cry, 
Brown, stimulus, madam, looker-on, tax, analysis, radius, 
zero, half, foot-ball, apparatus, car-load, brother-in-law, 
beauty, man-servant, focus, major-general, toy, handful, 
kindness, city, day, maid-of-honor, p, q, banjo, lady, shears, 
glass, Daily News, loaf, man-of-war, spoonful, attorney, 
daisy, committee, policeman, phenomenon, cannon, off- 
spring, tack, truth, son-in-law, jelly, story, house-top, 
Frenchman, tooth-brush, German, six, forget-me-not. 

(b) Give the singular form of the following nouns: 
data, memoranda, cacti, bacteria, parentheses, strata, lenses, 
passers-by, fungi, heathen, news, ashes, politics, riches, 
mice, measles, oats, athletics, thanks, victuals, pains, gal- 
lows, trousers, eaves, crises, vertebrae, bellows. 

Gender. The property of the noun by which it indicates 
the sex of the object named is called Gender. There are 
three genders: Masculine, Feminine, and Neuter. Nouns 
that indicate the male sex are of masculine gender; those 
that indicate the female sex are of feminine gender; and 
those which indicate no sex whatever are of neuter gender. 
Masculine: boy, stag, uncle 
Feminine: girl, doe, aunt 
Neuter: box, table, tree 

Gender is denoted in three ways : 



NOUNS 31 

1. By the use of different words: boy, girl; bachelor, 
maid. 

2. By the use of different endings : hero, heroine ; host, 
hostess. 

3. By composition with a word whose gender is 
known : man-servant, maid-servant. 

The use of the second method to denote gender is less 
common than formerly, and the modern tendency is to let 
such words as actor and author denote either sex. Indeed, 
for English the distinction of gender is of little importance 
and should not be emphasized 

Exercises, (a) Give the feminine forms of the follow- 
ing nouns : heir, son, sir, master, bridegroom, lad, widower, 
king, lord, duke, emperor, horse, earl, husband, alumnus, 
cock, sultan, czar, tiger, lion, goat, giant, elephant, murderer, 
administrator, beau, monk, prince, nephew, priest, landlord, 
Jew, grandpa, negro, father, god, salesman. 

(b) Arrange the words selected in Exercise (c), page 
29, in columns indicating their gender. 

Masculine Feminine Neuter 

husband wife bread 

Case. The property of a noun which shows its relation 
to some other word in the sentence is called Case. A noun 
may have four cases : Nominative, Accusative, Dative, and 
Genitive. 

Nominative Case. A noun is in the nominative case 
when it is used : 

1. As the subject of a verb. The boy runs. 

2. As a predicate noun to complete the meaning of the 
verb. 

You are king. He was elected king. 

3. In apposition with another noun in the nominative 
case. 



3 2 NOUNS 

Stephen Girard, a merchant of Philadelphia, left 
his money to charity. 

4. In direct address. Friends, listen to my words. 

5. With a participle in the absolute construction. 

The robber having departed, we ventured to open 
the door. 
Accusative Case. A noun used as the object of a verb 

or preposition is said to be in the accusative case. 

The girl mended the dress. Object of the verb 
mended. 

He struck me on the head. Object of the prepo- 
sition on. 
In addition to these main uses, the accusative case is 

used : 

1. When a noun is in apposition with another noun in 
the accusative case. 

In the distance we saw Sunnyside, the home of 
Washington Irving. 

2. When a noun is used as an adjunct accusative after 
such verbs as call, name, elect, make, choose, create, 
etc. 

Thou shalt call his name John. 
The adjunct accusative John refers to the direct 
object, name, and completes the meaning of the 
verb call. 

3. When a noun is used as an adverbial accusative to 
modify a verb, adjective, or adverb. In many cases 
the adverbial accusative is equivalent to a preposi- 
tional phrase. 

He watched an hour. 

The street is two miles long. 

The train was ten minutes late. 

4. As the subject of an infinitive. 

I believe the man to be an impostor. 



NOUNS 33 

5. As the predicate of an infinitive. 

Legrand ordered his servant to drop the beetle. 
Dative Case. The dative is the case of the indirect ob- 
ject. 

He gave the beggar a penny. 
It is also used when a noun is in apposition with another 
noun in the dative case. 

Paris gave the apple to Venus, the goddess of love. 
Genitive Case. 1. In English there is no variation in 
form for nouns in the nominative, accusative, or dative 
cases; the only case which has a distinct form is the geni- 
tive. The genitive case usually denotes ownership and 
should therefore be used only with the names of living ob- 
jects. 

the cow's calf the woman's dress 

With inanimate objects the preposition of should be used, 
the top of the desk 
the resources of the country 
Of may also be used with animate objects. 

the words of the teacher 
Such expressions as Shakespeare's plays, a day's journey, 
a stone's throw, a good night's rest are exceptions. The 
genitive case here does not imply possession but rather rela- 
tion to or connection with the word which it modifies. The 
meaning would be rendered more accurately by an of phrase. 

2. The genitive case of a singular noun is formed by add- 
ing 's 

the king's crown the horse's bridle 

If the noun ends in an s sound, the ^ of the genitive case is 
sometimes omitted in order to avoid the hissing sound. 

the princess' maid Dickens' novels 

3. Plural nouns not ending in s form their genitive case 
in the same way as singular nouns. 

the men's houses the children's toys 



34 NOUNS 

Plural nouns ending in s add the apostrophe only. 

the boys' playground the horses' saddles 

The student should remember that the genitive case cannot 
be expressed without the use of the apostrophe, or the 
preposition of. 

4. The genitive case of compound words is formed by 
placing the sign of the genitive at the end of the compound. 

my son-in-law' s farm 
When two names are used to denote joint ownership, the 
genitive sign is used only with the last noun. 

Mason and Dixon's line 
When separate ownership is implied, the sign of the genitive 
is placed after each noun. 

Lee's and Grant's armies 

5. When two nouns are in apposition, possession should 
be denoted by an of phrase rather than by the apostrophe ; 
when the latter method is used, the *s should be added to the 
second noun only. 

the house of Flagg the grocer 
Flagg the grocer's house 

6. The noun which the genitive modifies is sometimes 
omitted. 

The ring was bought at Tiffany's (store). 
Exercises. Give the genitive case of the nouns in the fol- 
lowing list. Be careful to use a phrase introduced by of 
wherever it is preferable. City, child, Socrates, conscience, 
ally, wives, Mary, geese, day, some one, years, Charles, King 
of Spain, hero, John, millionaires, lady, agents, butterfly, 
Henry the Eighth, Edward III, General Washington, dwarf, 
foxes, the Prince of Wales, mice, colony, Mr. Perkins, deer, 
poems of Tennyson and Holmes, country, college, some one 
else, novel, negroes, house, reign of William and Mary, at- 
torney-general, my cousin Tom, book, trees, hat, commander- 
in-chief, mother-in-law, the poet Lanier, teachers. 



NOUNS 35 

Substantives. Certain parts of speech besides the noun 
and pronoun often have a case construction in the sentence. 
They are in such instances called substantives. 

Adjective: To the pure all things are pure. 
Adverb : This is the eternal now. 
Infinitive: To obey is a soldier's duty. 
Gerund : Singing is taught in the public schools. 
Parsing. In parsing a noun we should tell its : 

1. Number 

2. Case 

3. Use in the sentence. 
Thus, — 

John picked cotton in his father's fields. 
John is a noun in the singular number ; it is in the nomina- 
tive case because it is the subject of the verb picked. Cot- 
ton is a noun in the singular number ; it is in the accusative 
case because it is the object of the verb picked. Father's 
is a singular noun in the genitive case, modifying the noun 
fields. Fields in a plural noun in the accusative case be- 
cause it is the object of the preposition in. 

Exercises, (a) Parse the nouns in the following sen- 
tences : 

1. The prince, my master's son, is king. Long live the 
king! 

2. The courtier caught the toe of his boot in the carpet 
and fell sprawling upon the floor. 

3. The bugle having blown, the troops were assembled in 
the company's barracks. " Men, are you ready ? " shouted 
the captain. 

4. I have waited two hours, O King, and still there is no 
news from the battle. 

5. The legislature elected Melton senator to fill the un- 
expired term of Graham, the senator from Maine. 

6. The child having been quieted, the woman looked me 



36 NOUNS 

squarely in the eye and said, " Robert, why have you come 
here?" 

7. My little daughter Jane will be ten years old on her 
next birthday, at which time I shall give her my mother's 
ring for a present. 

8. The queen dying without heirs, the crown was be- 
stowed upon her nephew, who was the son of the queen's 
oldest brother. 

9. As I spoke these words, the doorkeeper, a huge man 
dressed in black clothes, pushed the messenger of the king 
roughly into the room. 

10. St. Simeon lived forty years on a pillar thirty-six feet 
high. 

(b) Parse all the nouns in paragraph 17 of " Rip Van 
Winkle." 

(c) Correct all errors in case and number in the fol- 
lowing sentences, giving your reason for each correction. 
Two of the sentences contain no mistakes. 

1. Rip never did an honest days work in his life. 

2. For the present I am taking my meals at the Watsons. 

3. The ladye's hats are too large for her. 

4. The news of my uncle's death was a great shock to my 
aunt. 

5. The two commander-in-chiefs met for conference on 
an old house's porch. 

6. The authors' secretary made him a present of a writ- 
ers' portfolio. 

7. Charles reign was ended by his death; he was be- 
headed by Cromwells' orders. 

8. We always buy our uniforms at Wanamakers. 

9. The children's toys were soon broken. 

10. I like Tennyson's poems better than Burnses. 

11. This is John or James' hat; it is of last year's stock 
and was bought at Hawkin's the hatter. 



NOUNS 37 

12. The books that I like best are the novels of Dickens' 
and those of George Eliot. 

13. Boxes, pianos, calicos, knifes, pennys, and banknotes 
were piled together in hopeless confusion. 

14. In the crowd were men from many countrys — 
Malays, Negros, Englishmen, Germans, and Dutch — as 
well as the hanger-ons at the court. 

15. I soon became interested in one of the long love 
story's that are now so popular. 



IV 

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

FOUND AMONG THE PAPERS OF THE LATE DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKER 

i. In the bosom of one of those spacious coves which indent the 
eastern shore of the Hudson, at that broad expansion of the river 
denominated by the ancient Dutch navigators the Tappan Zee, and 
where they always prudently shortened sail, and implored the pro- 
tection of St. Nicholas 1 when they crossed, there lies a small 
market-town or rural port, which by some is called Greensburgh, 
but which is more generally and properly known by the name of 
Tarry Town. This name was given, we are told, in former days, 
by the good housewives of the adjacent country, from the invet- 
erate propensity of their husbands to linger about the village 
tavern on market-days. Be that as it may, I do not vouch for the 
fact, but merely advert to it for the sake of being precise and 
authentic. Not far from this village, perhaps about two miles, 
there is a little valley, or rather lap of land, among high hills, 
which is one of the quietest places in the whole world. A small 
brook glides through it, with just murmur enough to lull one to 
repose ; and the occasional whistle of a quail, or tapping of a 
woodpecker, is almost the only sound that ever breaks in upon the 
uniform tranquillity. 

2. I recollect that, when a stripling, my first exploit in squirrel- 
shooting was in a grove of tall walnut-trees that shades one side 
of the valley. I had wandered into it at noontime, when all na- 
ture is peculiarly quiet, and was startled by the roar of my own 
gun, as it broke the Sabbath stillness around, and was prolonged 

1 St. Nicholas: The patron saint of the burghers of New Nether- 
lands. He is known to children to-day as Santa Claus. 

38 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 39 

and reverberated by the angry echoes. If ever I should wish for 
a retreat, whither I might steal from the world and its distractions, 
and dream quietly away the remnant of a troubled life, I know of 
none more promising than this little valley. 

3. From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar char- 
acter of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original 
Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the 
name of Sleepy Hollow, and its rustic lads are called the Sleepy 
Hollow Boys throughout all the neighboring country. A drowsy, 
dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the 
very atmosphere. Some say that the place was bewitched by a 
high German doctor, during the early days of the settlement; 
others, that an old Indian chief, the prophet or wizard of his tribe, 
held his powwows there before the country was discovered by 
Master Hendrick Hudson. 2 Certain it is, the place still continues 
under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over 
the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual 
reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvellous beliefs ; are 
subject to trances and visions ; and frequently see strange sights, 
and hear music and voices in the air. The whole neighborhood 
abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions ; 
stars shoot and meteors glare oftener across the valley than in any 
other part of the country, and the nightmare, with her whole nine- 
fold, seems to make it the favorite scene of her gambols. 

4. The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted 
region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of 
the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback without a head. 
It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, 3 whose 
head had been carried away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless 
battle during the Revolutionary War, and who is ever and anon 
seen by the country folk, hurrying along in the gloom of night, as 

2 Hendrick Hudson: The discoverer of the river that bears his 
name. An English navigator in the employ of Holland. He sailed 
into the Hudson River in 1609, and discovered Hudson Bay the 
next year. 

3 Hessian trooper: The Hessians were Germans from Hesse 
Cassel, hired by the British to fight against the Americans in the 
Revolutionary War. 



4° THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

if on the wings of the wind. His haunts are not confined to the 
valley, but extend at times to the adjacent roads, and especially to 
the vicinity of a church at no great distance. Indeed certain of 
the most authentic historians of those parts, who have been care- 
ful in collecting and collating the floating facts concerning this 
spectre, allege that the body of the trooper, having been buried 
in the church-yard, the ghost rides forth to the scene of battle in 
nightly quest of his head; and that the rushing speed with which 
he sometimes passes along the Hollow, like a midnight blast, is 
owing to his being belated, and in a hurry to get back to the 
churchyard before day-break. 

5. Such is the general purport of this legendary superstition, 
which has furnished materials for many a wild story in that region 
of shadows ; and the spectre is known, at all the country firesides, 
by the name of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. 

6. It is remarkable that the visionary propensity I have men- 
tioned is not confined to the native inhabitants of the valley, but is 
unconsciously imbibed by every one who resides there for a time. 
However wide awake they may have been before they entered that 
sleepy region, they are sure, in a little time, to inhale the witch- 
ing influence of the air, and begin to grow imaginative, to 
dream dreams, and see apparitions. 

7. I mention this peaceful spot with all possible laud; for it is 
in such little retired Dutch valleys, found here and there em- 
bosomed in the great State of New York, that population, man- 
ners, and customs remain fixed ; while the great torrent of migra- 
tion and improvement, which is making such incessant changes in 
other parts of this restless country, sweeps by them unobserved. 
They are like those little nooks of still water which border a rapid 
stream; where we may see the straw and bubble riding quietly at 
anchor, or slowly revolving in their mimic harbor, undisturbed by 
the rush of the passing current. Though many years have 
elapsed since I trod the drowsy shades of Sleepy Hollow, yet I 
question whether I should not still find the same trees and the 
same families vegetating in its sheltered bosom. 

8. In this by-place of nature, there abode, in a remote period 
of American history, that is to say, some thirty years since, a 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 41 

worthy wight of the name of Ichabod Crane; who sojourned, or, 
as he expressed it, il tarried," in Sleepy Hollow, for the purpose 
of instructing the children of the vicinity. He was a native of 
Connecticut, a State which supplies the Union with pioneers for 
the mind as well as for the forest, and sends forth yearly its 
legions of frontier woodsmen and country school-masters. The 
cognomen of Crane was not inapplicable to his person. He was 
tall, but exceedingly lank, with narrow shoulders, long arms and 
legs, hands that dangled a mile out of his sleeves, feet that might 
have served for shovels, and his whole frame most loosely hung 
together. His head was small, and flat at top, with huge ears, 
large green glassy eyes, and a long snipe nose, so that it looked like 
a weather-cock perched upon his spindle neck, to tell which way 
the wind blew. To see him striding along the profile of a hill 
on a windy day, with his clothes bagging and fluttering about 
him, one might have mistaken him for the genius of famine de- 
scending upon the earth, or some scarecrow eloped from a corn- 
field. 

9. His school-house was a low building of one large room, 
rudely constructed of logs ; the windows partly glazed, and partly 
patched with leaves of old copy-books. It was most ingeniously 
secured at vacant hours by a withe twisted in the handle of the 
door, and stakes set against the window-shutters, so that, though 
a thief might get in with perfect ease, he would find some em- 
barrassment in getting out: an idea most probably borrowed by 
the architect, Yost Van Houten, from the mystery of an eel-pot. 4 
The school-house stood in a rather lonely but pleasant situation, 
just at the foot of a woody hill, with a brook running close by, and 
a formidable birch-tree growing at one end of it. From hence the 
low murmur of his pupils' voices, conning over their lessons, 
might be heard in a drowsy summer's day, like the hum of a bee- 
hive ; interrupted now and then by the authoritative voice of the 
master, in the tone of menace or command ; or, peradventure, by 
the appalling sound of the birch, as he urged some tardy loiterer 
along the flowery path of knowledge. Truth to say, he was a con- 
scientious man, and ever bore in mind the golden maxim, " Spare 

4 Eel-pot: A trap for catching eels. 



42 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

the rod and spoil the child." — Ichabod Crane's scholars certainly 
were not spoiled. 

10. I would not have it imagined, however, that he was one of 
those cruel potentates of the school, who joy in the smart of their 
subjects; on the contrary, he administered justice with dis- 
crimination rather than severity, taking the burden off the backs 
of the weak, and laying it on those of the strong. Your mere 
puny stripling, that winced at the least flourish of the rod, was 
passed by with indulgence ; but the claims of justice were satisfied 
by inflicting a double portion on some little, tough, wrong-headed, 
broad-skirted Dutch urchin, who sulked and swelled and grew 
dogged and sullen beneath the birch. All this he called " doing 
his duty " by their parents ; and he never inflicted a chastisement 
without following it by the assurance, so consolatory to the smart- 
ing urchin, that " he would remember it, and thank him for it the 
longest day he had to live." 

ii. When school-hours were over, he was even the companion 
and playmate of the larger boys ; and on holiday afternoons would 
convoy some of the smaller ones home, who happened to have 
pretty sisters, or good housewives for mothers, noted for the com- 
forts of the cupboard. Indeed it behooved him to keep on good 
terms with his pupils. The revenue arising from his school was 
small, and would have been scarcely sufficient to furnish him with 
daily bread, for he was a huge feeder, and, though lank, had the 
dilating powers of an anaconda ; but to help out his maintenance, 
he was, according to country custom in those parts, boarded and 
lodged at the houses of the farmers, whose children he instructed. 
With these he lived successively a week at a time; thus going the 
rounds of the neighborhood, with all his worldly effects tied up 
in a cotton handkerchief. 

12. That all this might not be too onerous on the purses of his 
rustic patrons, who are apt to consider the costs of schooling 
a grievous burden, and schoolmasters as mere drones, he had 
various ways of rendering himself both useful and agreeable. He 
assisted the farmers occasionally in the lighter labors of their 
farms ; helped to make hay ; mended the fences ; took the horses to 
water ; drove the cows from pasture ; and cut wood for the winter 






THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 43 

fire. He laid aside, too, all the dominant dignity and absolute 
sway with which he lorded it in his little empire, the school, 
and became wonderfully gentle and ingratiating. He found favor 
in the eyes of the mothers, by petting the children, particularly 
the youngest ; and like the lion bold, which whilom 5 so magnani- 
mously the lamb did hold, he would sit with a child on one knee, 
and rock a cradle with his foot for whole hours together. 

13. In addition to his other vocations, he was the singing- 
master of the neighborhood, and picked up many bright shillings 
by instructing the young folks in psalmody. It was a matter of 
no little vanity to him, on Sundays, to take his station in front of 
the church-gallery, with a band of chosen singers ; where, in his 
own mind, he completely carried away the palm from the parson. 
Certain it is, his voice resounded far above all the rest of the con- 
gregation ; and there are peculiar quavers still to be heard in that 
church, and which may even be heard half a mile off, quite to the 
opposite side of the mill-pond, on a still Sunday morning, which 
are said to be legitimately descended from the nose of Ichabod 
Crane. Thus, by divers little makeshifts in that ingenious way 
which is commonly denominated " by hook and by crook," the 
worthy pedagogue got on tolerably enough, and was thought, by 
all who understood nothing of the labor of headwork, to have 
a wonderfully easy life of it. 

14. The schoolmaster is generally a man of some importance 
in the female circle of a rural neighborhood ; being considered a 
kind of idle, gentleman-like personage, of vastly superior taste 
and accomplishments to the rough country swains, and, indeed, 
inferior in learning only to the parson. His appearance, there- 
fore, is apt to occasion some little stir at the tea-table of a farm- 
house, and the addition of a supernumerary dish of cakes or 
sweetmeats, or, peradventure, the parade of a silver teapot. Our 
man of letters, therefore, was peculiarly happy in the smiles of 
all the country damsels. How he would figure among them in 
the churchyard, between services on Sundays ! gathering grapes 
for them from the wild vines that overrun the surrounding trees ; 

5 Whilom: Formerly; an old English word that has passed out 
of use. 



44 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

reciting for their amusement all the epitaphs on the tombstones ; 
or sauntering, with a whole bevy of them, along the banks of the 
adjacent mill-pond; while the more bashful country bumpkins 
hung sheepishly back, envying his superior elegance and address. 

15. From his half itinerant life, also, he was a kind of travelling 
gazette, carrying the whole budget of local gossip from house to 
house: so that his appearance was always greeted with satisfac- 
tion. He was, moreover, esteemed by the women as a man of 
great erudition, for he had read several books quite through, and 
was a perfect master of Cotton Mather's " History of New Eng- 
land Witchcraft," 6 in which, by the way, he most firmly and 
potently believed. 

16. He was, in fact, an odd mixture of small shrewdness and 
simple credulity. His appetite for the marvellous, and his powers 
of digesting it, were equally extraordinary; and both had been 
increased by his residence in this spellbound region. No tale was 
too gross or monstrous for his capacious swallow. It was often 
his delight, after his school was dismissed in the afternoon, to 
stretch himself on the rich bed of clover bordering the little brook 
that whimpered by his schoolhouse, and there con over old 
Mather's direful tales, until the gathering dusk of the evening 
made the printed page a mere mist before his eyes. Then, as 
he wended his way, by swamp and stream, and awful woodland, 
to the farmhouse where he happened to be quartered, every sound 
of nature, at that witching hour, fluttered his excited imagination ; 
the moan of the whippoorwill from the hillside ; the boding cry 
of the treetoad, that harbinger of storm; the dreary hooting of 
the screech owl, or the sudden rustling in the thicket of birds 
frightened from their roost. The fireflies, too, which sparkled 
most vividly in the darkest places, now and then startled him, 
as one of uncommon brightness would stream across his path ; 
and if, by chance, a huge blockhead of a beetle came winging 

6 Cotton Mather's "History of New England Witchcraft": Cot- 
ton Mather was a famous Boston clergyman (1663-1728). He was 
one of the most intellectual men of his time, yet his prominence in 
the persecution of witches proves that he was not in advance of his 
age. 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 45 

his blundering flight against him, the poor varlet was ready to 
give up the ghost, with the idea that he was struck with a witch's 
token. His only resource on such occasions, either to drown 
thought or drive away evil spirits, was to sing psalm-tunes ; and 
the good people of Sleepy Hollow, as they sat by their doors of an 
evening, were often filled with awe, at hearing his nasal melody, 
" in linked sweetness long drawn out/' floating from the distant 
hill, or along the dusky road. 

17. Another of his sources of fearful pleasure was, to pass 
long winter evenings with the old Dutch wives, as they sat spin- 
ning by the fire, with a row of apples roasting and spluttering 
along the hearth and listen to their marvellous tales of ghosts and 
goblins, and haunted fields, and haunted brooks, and haunted 
bridges, and haunted houses, and particularly of the headless 
horseman, or Galloping Hessian of the Hollow, as they some- 
times called him. He would delight them equally by his anecdotes 
of witchcraft, and of the direful omens and portentous sights 
and sounds in the air, which prevailed in the earlier times of Con- 
necticut ; and would frighten them wofully with speculations upon 
comets and shooting stars, and with the alarming fact that the 
world did absolutely turn round, and that they were half the time 
topsy-turvy ! 

18. But if there was a pleasure in all this, while snugly cud- 
dling in the chimney-corner of a chamber that was all of a ruddy 
glow from the crackling w r ood-fire, and where, of course, no 
spectre dared to show his face, it was dearly purchased by the 
terrors of his subsequent walk homewards. What fearful shapes 
and shadows beset his path amidst the dim and ghastly glare of a 
snowy night ! — With what wistful look did he eye every trem- 
bling ray of light streaming across the waste fields from some 
distant window ! — How often was he appalled by some shrub 
covered with snow, which, like a sheeted spectre, beset his very 
path ! — How often did he shrink with curdling awe at the 
sound of his own steps on the frosty crust beneath his feet ; and 
dread to look over his shoulder, lest he should behold some un- 
couth being tramping close behind him ! — and how often was 
he thrown into complete dismay by some rushing blast, howling 



46 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

among the trees, in the idea that it was the Galloping Hessian 
on one of his nightly scourings ! 

19. All these, however, were mere terrors of the night, phan- 
toms of the mind that walk in darkness ; and though he had seen 
many spectres in his time, and been more than once beset by 
Satan in divers shapes, in his lonely perambulations, yet day- 
light put an end to all these evils; and he would have passed 
a pleasant life of it, in despite of the devil and all his works, 
if his path had not been crossed by a being that causes more 
perplexity to mortal man than ghosts, goblins, and the whole race 
of witches put together, and that w r as — a woman. 

20. Among the musical disciples who assembled, one evening 
in each week, to receive his instructions in psalmody, was Katrina 
Van Tassel, the daughter and only child of a substantial Dutch 
farmer. She was a blooming lass of fresh eighteen; plump as 
a partridge; ripe and melting and rosy-cheeked as one of her 
father's peaches, and universally famed, not merely for her 
beauty, but her vast expectations. She was withal a little of a 
coquette, as might be perceived even in her dress, which was 
a mixture of ancient and modern fashions, as most suited to set 
off her charms. She wore the ornaments of pure yellow gold, 
which her great-great-grandmother had brought over from Saar- 
dam, 7 the tempting -stomacher of the olden time ; and withal a 
provokingly short petticoat, to display the prettiest foot and ankle 
in the country round. 

21. Ichabod Crane had a soft and foolish heart towards the 
sex; and it is not to be wondered at that so tempting a morsel 
soon found favor in his eyes ; more especially after he had visited 
her in her paternal mansion. Old Baltus Van Tassel was a per- 
fect picture of a thriving, contented, liberal-hearted farmer. He 
seldom, it is true, sent either his eyes or his thoughts beyond 
the boundaries of his own farm ; but within those everything was 
snug, happy, and well-conditioned. He was satisfied with his 
wealth, but not proud of it ; and piqued himself upon the hearty 
abundance rather than the style in which he lived. His strong- 
hold was situated on the banks of the Hudson, in one of those 

7 §mrdam: A town in Holland. 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 47 

green, sheltered, fertile nooks in which the Dutch farmers are 
so fond of nestling. A great elm-tree spread its broad branches 
over it; at the foot of which bubbled up a spring of the softest 
and sweetest water, in a little well, formed of a barrel ; and then 
stole sparkling away through the grass, to a neighboring brook, 
that bubbled along among alders and dwarf willows. Hard by 
the farm-house was a vast barn, that might have served for a 
church ; every window and crevice of which seemed bursting 
forth with the treasures of the farm ; the flail was busily resound- 
ing within it from morning till night; swallows and martins 
skimmed twittering about the eaves ; and rows of pigeons, some 
with one eye turned up, as if watching the weather, some with 
their heads under their wings, or buried in their bosoms, and 
others swelling, and cooing, and bowing about their dames, were 
enjoying the sunshine on the roof. Sleek unwieldy porkers were 
grunting in the repose and abundance of their pens; whence 
sallied forth, now and then, troops of sucking pigs, as if to snuff 
the air. A stately squadron of snowy geese were riding in an ad- 
joining pond, convoying whole fleets of ducks; regiments of 
turkeys were gobbling through the farm-yard, and guinea fowls 
fretting about it, like ill-tempered housewives, with their peevish 
discontented cry. Before the barn-door strutted the gallant 
cock, that pattern of a husband, a warrior, and a fine gentle- 
man, clapping his burnished wings, and crowing in the pride 
and gladness of his heart — sometimes tearing up the earth with 
his feet, and then generously calling his ever-hungry family 
of wives and children to enjoy the rich morsel which he had 
discovered. 

22. The pedagogue's mouth watered, as he looked upon this 
sumptuous promise of luxurious winter fare. In his devour- 
ing mind's eye he pictured to himself every roasting-pig run- 
ning about with a pudding in his belly, and an apple in his 
mouth ; the pigeons were snugly put to bed in a comfortable pie, 
and tucked in with a coverlet of crust ; the geese were swimming 
in their own gravy; and the ducks pairing cosily in dishes, like 
snug married couples, with a decent competency of onion-sauce. 
In the porkers he saw carved out the future sleek side of bacon, 



48 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

and juicy relishing ham; not a turkey but he beheld daintily 
trussed up, with its gizzard under its wing, and, peradventure, 
a necklace of savory sausages ; and even bright chanticleer him- 
self lay sprawling on his back, in a side-dish, with uplifted claws, 
as if craving that quarter which his chivalrous spirit disdained to 
ask' while living. 

23. As the enraptured Ichabod fancied all this, and as he 
rolled his great green eyes over the fat meadow-lands, the rich 
fields of wheat, of rye, of buckwheat, and Indian corn, and 
the orchard burdened with ruddy fruit, which surrounded the 
warm tenement of Van Tassel, his heart yearned after the 
damsel who was to inherit these domains, and his imagination 
expanded with the idea how they might be readily turned into 
cash and the money invested in immense tracts of wild land, 
and shingle palaces in the wilderness. Nay, his busy fancy 
already realized his hopes, and presented to him the blooming 
Katrina, with a whole family of children, mounted on the top 
of a wagon loaded with household trumpery, with pots and 
kettles dangling beneath; and he beheld himself bestriding a 
pacing mare, with a colt at her heels, setting out for Kentucky, 
Tennessee, or the Lord knows where. 

24. When he entered the house the conquest of his heart 
was complete. It was one of those spacious farm-houses, with 
high-ridged, but lowly-sloping roofs, built in the style handed 
down from the first Dutch settlers; the low projecting eaves 
forming a piazza along the front, capable of being closed up 
in bad weather. Under this were hung flails, harness, vari- 
ous utensils of husbandry, and nets for fishing in the neighbor- 
ing river. Benches were built along the sides for summer use; 
and a great spinning-wheel at one end, and a churn at the 
other, showed the various uses to which this important porch 
might be devoted. From this piazza the wondering Ichabod 
entered the hall, which formed the centre of the mansion and 
the place of usual residence. Here, rows of resplendent pewter, 
ranged on a long dresser, dazzled his eyes. In one corner 
stood a huge bag of wool ready to be spun ; in another a quan- 
tity of linsey-woolsey just from the loom; ears of Indian corn, 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 49 

and strings of dried apples and peaches, hung in gay festoons 
along the walls, mingled with the gaud of red peppers; and a 
door left ajar gave him a peep into the best parlor, where the 
claw-footed chairs and dark mahogany tables shone like mirrors ; 
andirons, with their accompanying shovel and tongs, glistened 
from their covert of asparagus tops; mock-oranges and conch- 
shells decorated the mantel-piece; strings of various colored 
birds' eggs were suspended above it, a great ostrich egg was 
hung from the centre of the room, and a corner-cupboard, know- 
ingly left open, displayed immense treasures of old silver and 
well-mended china. 

25. From the moment Ichabod laid his eyes upon these regions 
of delight, the peace of his mind was at an end, and his only 
study was how to gain the affections of the peerless daughter 
of Van Tassel. In this enterprise, however, he had more real 
difficulties than generally fell to the lot of a knight-errant of 
yore, 8 who seldom had anything but giants, enchanters, fiery 
dragons, and such like easily conquered adversaries, to con- 
tend with ; and had to make his way merely through gates of 
iron and brass, and walls of adamant, to the castle-keep, where 
the lady of his heart was confined; all which he achieved as 
easily as a man would carve his way to the centre of a Christmas 
pie ; and then the lady gave him her hand as a matter of course. 
Ichabod, on the contrary, had to win his way to the heart of 
a country coquette, beset with a labyrinth of whims and caprices, 
which were forever presenting new difficulties and impediments ; 
and he had to encounter a host of fearful adversaries of real 
flesh and blood, the numerous rustic admirers, who beset every 
portal to her heart; keeping a watchful and angry eye upon 
each other, but ready to fly out in the common cause against 
any new competitor. 

26. Among these the most formidable was a burly, roaring, 
roistering blade, of the name of Abraham, or, according to the 
Dutch abbreviation, Brom Van Brunt, the hero of the country 

8 Knight- errant of yore: Many stories are told in mediaeval lit- 
erature of knights who went forth to fight dragons and enchanters 
in order to free beautiful maidens from captivity. 



50 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

round, which rang with his feats of strength and hardihood. 
He was broad-shouldered, and double-jointed, with short curly 
black hair, and a bluff but not unpleasant countenance having 
a mingled air of fun and arrogance. From his Herculean frame 
and great powers of limb, he had received the nickname of 
Brom Bones, by which he was universally known. He was 
famed for great knowledge and skill in horsemanship, being as 
dexterous on horseback as a Tartar. He was foremost at all 
races and cockfights; and, with the ascendency which bodily 
strength acquires in rustic life, was the umpire in all disputes, 
setting his hat on one side and giving his decisions with an 
air and tone admitting of no gainsay or appeal. He was always 
ready for either a fight or a frolic ; but had more mischief than 
ill-will in his composition; and, with all his overbearing rough- 
ness, there was a strong dash of waggish good-humor at bot- 
tom. He had three or four boon companions, who regarded 
him as their model, and at the head of whom he scoured the 
country, attending every scene of feud or merriment for miles 
round. In cold weather he was distinguished by a fur cap, 
surmounted with flaunting fox's tail; and when the folks at a 
country gathering descried this well-known crest at a distance, 
whisking about among a squad of hard riders, they always stood 
by for a squall. Sometimes his crew would be heard dashing 
along past the farm-houses at midnight, with whoop and halloo, 
like a troop of Don Cossacks ; 9 and the old dames, startled out 
of their sleep, would listen for a moment till the hurry-scurry 
had clattered by, and then exclaim, " Ay, there goes Brom Bones 
and his gang ! " The neighbors looked upon him with a mixture 
of awe, admiration and good-will ; and when any madcap prank, 
or rustic brawl, occurred in the vicinity, always shook their 
heads, and warranted Brom Bones was at the bottom of it. 

2J. This rantipole hero had for some time singled out the 
blooming Katrina for the object of his uncouth gallantries; and 
though his amorous toyings were something like the gentle 
caresses and endearments of a bear, yet it was whispered that 

9 Don Cossacks: Russian cavalrymen, famous for their reckless 
horsemanship. 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 5 1 

she did not altogether discourage his hopes. Certain it is, his 
advances were signals for rival candidates to retire, who felt 
no inclination to cross a lion in his amours; insomuch, that, 
when his horse was seen tied to Van Tassel's paling on Sunday 
night, a sure sign that his master was courting, or, as it is 
termed, " sparking," within, all other suitors passed by in de- 
spair, and carried the war into other quarters. 

28. Such was the formidable rival with whom Ichabod Crane 
had to contend, and, considering all things, a stouter man 
than he would have shrunk from the competition, and a wiser 
man would have despaired. He had, however, a happy mixture 
of pliability and perseverance in his nature ; he was in form and 
spirit like a supple-jack — yielding, but tough; though he bent, 
he never broke ; and though he bowed beneath the slightest pres- 
sure, yet, the moment it was away — jerk! he was as erect, and 
carried his head as high as ever. 

29. To have taken the field openly against his rival would 
have been madness; for he was not a man to be thwarted in 
his amours, any more than that stormy lover, Achilles. 10 Icha- 
bod, therefore, made his advances in a quiet and gently insinu- 
ating manner. Under cover of his character of singing-master, 
he had made frequent visits at the farm-house ; not that he had 
anything to apprehend from the meddlesome interference of 
parents, which is so often a stumbling-block in the path of lovers. 
Bait Van Tassel was an easy, indulgent soul ; he loved his daugh- 
ter better even than his pipe, and, like a reasonable man and 
an excellent father, let her have her way in everything. His 
notable little wife, too, had enough to do to attend to her house- 
keeping and manage her poultry; for, as she sagely observed, 
ducks and geese are foolish things, and must be looked after, 
but girls can take care of themselves. Thus while the busy 
dame bustled about the house, or plied her spinning-wheel at 
one end of the piazza, honest Bait would sit smoking his evening 
pipe at the other, watching the achievements of a little wooden 

10 Achilles: The Greek warrior, Achilles, retired to his tent and 
refused to fight when King Agamemnon took from him his beautiful 
captive, Briseis. 



52 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

warrior, who, armed with a sword in each hand, was most vali- 
antly fighting the wind on the pinnacle of the barn. In the mean- 
time, Ichabod would carry on his suit with the daughter by the 
side of the spring under the great elm, or sauntering along in 
the twilight, — that hour so favorable to the lover's eloquence. 

30. I profess not to know how women's hearts are wooed and 
won. To me they have always been matters of riddle and ad- 
miration. Some seem to have but one vulnerable point, or door 
of access, while others have a thousand avenues, and may be 
captured in a thousand different ways. It is a great triumph 
of skill to gain the former, but a still greater proof of general- 
ship to maintain possession of the latter, for the man must battle 
for his fortress at every door and window. He who wins a 
thousand common hearts is therefore entitled to some renown; 
but he who keeps undisputed sway over the heart of a coquette, 
is indeed a hero. Certain it is, this was not the case with the 
redoubtable Brom Bones: and from the moment Ichabod Crane 
made his advances, the interests of the former evidently declined ; 
his horse was no longer seen tied at the palings on Sunday nights, 
and a deadly feud gradually arose between him and the preceptor 
of Sleepy Hollow. 

31. Brom, who had a degree of rough chivalry in his nature, 
would fain have carried matters to open warfare, and have settled 
their pretensions to the lady according to the mode of those most 
concise and simple reasoners, the knights-errant of yore — by 
single combat; but Ichabod was too conscious of the superior 
might of his adversary to enter the lists against him: he had 
overheard a boast of Bones, that he would " double the school- 
master up, and lay him on a shelf of his own school-house ;" and 
he was too wary to give him an opportunity. There was some- 
thing extremely provoking in this obstinately pacific system; it 
left Brom no alternative but to draw upon the funds of rustic 
waggery in his disposition, and to play off boorish practical jokes 
upon his rival. Ichabod became the object of whimsical perse- 
cution to Bones and his gang of rough riders They harried his 
hitherto peaceful domains; smoked out his singing-school, by 
stopping up the chimney; broke into the school-house at night, 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 53 

in Spite of its formidable fastenings of withe and window-stakes, 
and turned everything topsy-turvy: so that the poor school- 
master began to think all the witches in the country held their 
meetings there. But what was still more annoying, Brom took 
opportunities of turning him into ridicule in presence of his mis- 
tress, and had a scoundrel dog whom he taught to whine in the 
most ludicrous manner, and introduced as a rival of Ichabod's 
to instruct her in psalmody. 

32. In this way matters went on for some time, without pro- 
ducing any material effect on the relative situation of the con- 
tending powers. On a fine autumnal afternoon, Ichabod, in 
pensive mood, sat enthroned on the lofty stool whence he usually 
watched all the concerns of his little literary realm. In his hand 
he swayed a ferule, that sceptre of despotic power; the birch 
of justice reposed on three nails, behind the throne, a constant 
terror to evil-doers ; while on the desk before him might be seen 
sundry contraband articles and prohibited weapons, detected upon 
the persons of idle urchins; such as half munched apples, pop- 
guns, whirligigs, fly-cages, and whole legions of rampant little 
paper gamecocks. Apparently there had been some appalling act 
of justice recently inflicted, for his scholars were all busily intent 
upon their books, or slyly whispering behind them with one eye 
kept upon the master; and a kind of buzzing stillness reigned 
throughout the school-room. It was suddenly interrupted by the 
appearance of a negro, in tow-cloth jacket and trousers, a round- 
crowned fragment of a hat, like the cap of Mercury, and mounted 
on the back of a ragged, wild, half-broken colt, which he man- 
aged with a rope by way of halter. He came clattering up to the 
school-door with an invitation to Ichabod to attend a merry- 
making or "quilting frolic/' to be held that evening at Myn- 
heer 1X Van Tassel's ; and having delivered his message with that 
air of importance, and effort at fine language, which a negro is 
apt to display on petty embassies of the kind, he dashed over the 
brook, and was seen scampering away up the Hollow full of the 
importance and hurry of his mission. 

^Mynheer: Equivalent to our Mr., literally, my lord. See also 
Heer in paragraph 40. 



54 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

33. All was now bustle and hubbub in the late quiet school- 
room. The scholars were hurried through their lessons, with- 
out stopping at trifles; those who were nimble skipped over half 
with impunity, and those who were tardy had a smart applica- 
tion now and then in the rear, to quicken their speed, or help 
them over a tall word. Books were flung aside without being 
put away on the shelves, inkstands were overturned, benches 
thrown down, and the whole school was turned loose an hour 
before the usual time, bursting forth like a legion of young imps, 
yelping and racketing about the green, in joy at their early eman- 
cipation. 

34. The gallant Ichabod now spent at least an extra half- 
hour at his toilet, brushing and furbishing up his best and indeed 
only suit of rusty black, and arranging his locks by a bit of 
broken looking-glass, that hung up in the school-house. That he 
might make his appearance before his mistress in the true style 
of a cavalier, he borrowed a horse from the farmer with whom 
he was domiciliated, a choleric old Dutchman, of the name of 
Hans Van Ripper, and, thus gallantly mounted, issued forth, like 
a knight-errant in quest of adventures. But it is meet I should, 
in the true spirit of romantic story, give some account of the looks 
and equipments of my hero and his steed. The animal he be- 
strode was a broken-down plough-horse, that had outlived almost 
everything but his viciousness. He was gaunt and shagged, with 
a ewe neck and a. head like a hammer ; his rusty mane and tail 
were tangled and knotted with burrs ; one eye had lost its pupil, 
and was glaring and spectral ; but the other had the gleam of a 
genuine devil in it. Still he must have had fire and mettle in 
his day, if we may judge from the name he bore of Gunpowder. 
He had, in fact, been a favorite steed of his master's, the choleric 
Van Ripper, who was a furious rider, and had infused, very 
prcrbably, some of his own spirit into the animal; for, old and 
broken-down as he looked, there was more of the lurking devil 
in him than in any young filly in the country. 

35. Ichabod was a suitable figure for such a steed. He rode 
wfth short stirrups, which brought his knees nearly up to the 
pommel of the saddle ; his sharp elbows stuck out like grasshop- 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 55 

pers'; he carried his whip perpendicularly in his hand, like a 
sceptre, and, as his horse jogged on, the motion of his arms was 
not unlike the flapping of a pair of wings. A small wool hat 
rested on the top of his nose, for so his scanty strip of forehead 
might be called; and the skirts of his black coat fluttered out 
almost to the horse's tail. Such was the appearance of Ichabod 
and his steed, as they shambled out of the gate of Hans Van Rip- 
per, and it was altogether such an apparition as is seldom to be 
met with in broad daylight. 

2,6. It was, as I have said, a fine autumnal day, the sky was 
clear and serene, and nature wore that rich and golden livery 
which we always associate with the idea of abundance. The 
forests had put on their sober brown and yellow, while some 
trees of the tenderer kind had been nipped by the frosts into 
brilliant dyes of orange, purple, and scarlet. Streaming files of 
wild ducks began to make their appearance high in the air; the 
bark of the squirrel might be heard from the groves of beech 
and hickory nuts, and the pensive whistle of the quail at intervals 
from the neighboring stubblefield. 

37. The small birds were taking their farewell banquets. In 
the fullness of their revelry, they fluttered, chirping and frolick- 
ing, from bush to bush, and tree to tree, capricious from the 
very profusion and variety around them. There was the honest 
cockrobin, the favorite game of stripling sportsmen, with its loud 
querulous notes; and the twittering blackbirds flying in sable 
clouds; and the golden-winged woodpecker, with his crimson 
crest, his broad black gorget, and splendid plumage; and the 
cedar-bird, with its red-tipt wings and yellow-tipt tail, and its 
little monteiro 12 cap of feathers ; and the blue jay, that noisy 
coxcomb, in his gay light-blue coat and white under-clothes, 
screaming and chattering, nodding and bobbing and bowing, and 
pretending to be on good terms with every songster of the grove. 

38. As Ichabod jogged slowly on his way, his eye, ever open 
to every symptom of culinary abundance, ranged with delight 
over the treasures of jolly autumn. On all sides he beheld 
vast store of apples ; some hanging in oppressive opulence on the, 

1 2 Monteiro : A horseman's cap. 



56 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

trees ; some gathered into baskets and barrels for the market ; 
others heaped up in rich piles for the cider-press. Farther on he 
beheld great fields of Indian corn, with its golden ears peeping 
from their leafy coverlets, and holding out the promise of cakes 
and hasty-pudding ; and the yellow pumpkins lying beneath them, 
turning up their fair round bellies to the sun, and giving ample 
prospects of the most luxurious of pies ; and anon he passed the 
fragrant buckwheat fields, breathing the odor of the bee-hive, 
and as he beheld them, soft anticipations stole over his mind of 
dainty slapjacks, well buttered, and garnished with honey or 
treacle, by the delicate little dimpled hand of Katrina Van Tas- 
sel. 

39. Thus feeding his mind with many sweet thoughts and 
" sugared suppositions/' he journeyed along the sides of a range 
of hills which look out upon some of the goodliest scenes of the 
mighty Hudson. The sun gradually wheeled his broad disk down 
into the west. The wide bosom of the Tappan Zee lay motion- 
less and glassy, excepting that here and there a gentle undula- 
tion waved and prolonged the blue shadow of the distant moun- 
tain. A few amber clouds floated in the sky, without a breath 
of air to move them. The horizon was of a fine golden tint, 
changing gradually into a purple apple-green, and from that into 
the deep blue of the mid-heaven. A slanting ray lingered on 
the woody crests of the precipices that overhung some parts of 
the river, giving greater depth to the dark-gray and purple of 
their rocky sides. A sloop was loitering in the distance, dropping 
slowly down with the tide, her sail hanging uselessly against 
the mast ; and as the reflection of the sky gleamed along the still 
water, it seemed as if the vessel was suspended in the air. 

40. It was toward evening that Ichabod arrived at the castle of 
the Heer Van Tassel, which he found thronged with the pride 
and flower of the adjacent country. Old farmers, a spare leath- 
ern-faced race, in homespun coats and breeches, blue stockings, 
huge shoes, and magnificent pewter buckles. Their brisk with- 
ered little dames, in close crimped caps, long-waisted shortgowns, 
homespun petticoats, with scissors and pincushions, and gay 
calico pockets hanging on the outside. Buxom lasses, almost as 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 57 

antiquated as their mothers, excepting where a straw hat, a fine 
ribbon, or perhaps a white frock, gave symptoms of city innova- 
tion. The sons, in short square-skirted coats with rows of stu- 
pendous brass buttons, and their hair generally queued in the 
fashion of the times, especially if they could procure an eel-skin 
for the purpose, it being esteemed, throughout the country, as a 
potent nourisher and strengthener of the hair. 

41. Brom Bones, however, was the hero of the scene, having 
come to the gathering on his favorite steed, Daredevil, a creature, 
like himself, full of mettle and mischief, and which no one but 
himself could manage. He was, in fact, noted for preferring 
vicious animals, given to all kinds of tricks, which kept the 
rider in constant risk of his neck, for he held a tractable well- 
broken horse as unworthy of a lad of spirit. 

42. Fain would I pause to dwell upon the world of charms 
that burst upon the enraptured gaze of my hero, as he entered 
the state parlor of Van Tassel's mansion. Not those of the bevy 
of buxom lasses, with their luxurious display of red and white; 
but the ample charms of a genuine Dutch country tea-table, in 
the sumptuous time of autumn. Such heaped-up platters of cakes 
of various and almost indescribable kinds, known only to ex- 
perienced Dutch housewives ! There was the doughty doughnut, 
the tenderer oly koek, and the crisp and crumbling cruller ; sweet 
cakes and short cakes, ginger-cakes and honey-cakes, and the 
whole family of cakes. And then there were apple-pies and 
peach-pies and pumpkin-pies; besides slices of ham and smoked 
beef; and moreover delectable dishes of preserved plums, and 
peaches, and pears, and quinces ; not to mention broiled shad and 
roasted chickens; together with bowls of milk and cream, all 
mingled higgledy piggledy, pretty much as I have enumerated 
them, with the motherly tea-pot sending up its clouds of vapor 
from the midst — Heaven bless the mark ! I want breath and 
time to discuss this banquet as it deserves, and am too eager to 
get on with my story. Happily, Ichabod Crane was not in so 
great a hurry as his historian, but did ample justice to every 
dainty. 

43. He was a kind and thankful creature, whose heart dilated 



5§ THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

in proportion as his skin was filled with good cheer; and whose 
spirits rose with eating as some men's do with drink. He could 
not help, too, rolling his large eyes round him as he ate, and 
chuckling with the possibility that he might one day be lord 
of all this scene of almost unimaginable luxury and splendor. 
Then, he thought, how soon he'd turn his back upon the old 
school-house; snap his fingers in the face of Hans Van Ripper, 
and every other niggardly patron, and kick any itinerant peda- 
gogue out-of-doors that should dare to call him comrade ! 

44. Old Baltus Van Tassel moved about among his guests 
with a face dilated with content and good-humor, round and 
jolly as the harvest-moon. His hospitable attentions were brief, 
but expressive, being confined to a shake of the hand, a slap on 
the shoulder, a loud laugh, and a pressing invitation to " fall to, 
and help themselves." 

45. And now the sound of the music from the common room, 
or hall, summoned to the dance. The musician was an old 
gray-headed negro, who had been the itinerant orchestra of the 
neighborhood for more than half a century. His instrument 
was as old and battered as himself. The greater part of the 
time he scraped on two or three strings accompanying every 
movement of the bow with a motion of the head ; bowing almost 
to the ground and stamping with his foot whenever a fresh couple 
were to start. 

46. Ichabod prided himself upon his dancing as much as upon 
his vocal powers. Not a limb, not a fibre about him was idle; 
and to have seen his loosely hung frame in full motion, and clat- 
tering about the room, you would have thought Saint Vitus him- 
self, that blessed patron of the dance, was figuring before you 
in person. He was the admiration of all the negroes; who, hav- 
ing gathered, of all ages and sizes, from the farm and the neigh- 
borhood, stood forming a pyramid of shining black faces at every 
door and window, gazing with delight at the scene, rolling their 
white eyeballs, and showing grinning rows of ivory from ear 
to ear. How could the flogger of urchins be otherwise than ani- 
mated and joyous? the lady of his heart was his partner in the 
dance, and smiling graciously in reply to all his amorous oglings ; 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 59 

while Brom Bones, sorely smitten with love and jealousy, sat 
brooding by himself in one corner. 

47. When the dance was at an end, Ichabod was attracted 
to a knot of the sager folks, who, with old Van Tassel, sat 
smoking at one end of the piazza, gossiping over former times, 
and drawing out long stories about the war. 

48. This neighborhood, at the time of which I am speaking, 
was one of those highly favored places which abound with chroni- 
cle and great men. The British and American line had run 
near it during the war; it had, therefore, been the scene of 
marauding, and infested with refugees, cow-boys, and all kinds 
of border chivalry. Just sufficient time had elapsed to enable 
each story-teller to dress up his tale with a little becoming fiction, 
and, in the indistinctness of his recollection, to make himself the 
hero of every exploit. 

49. There was the story of Doffue Martling, a large blue- 
bearded Dutchman, who had nearly taken a British frigate with 
an old iron nine-pounder from a mud breastwork, only that his 
gun burst at the sixth discharge. And there was an old gentle- 
man who shall be nameless, being too rich a mynheer to be 
lightly mentioned, who, in the battle of Whiteplains, being an 
excellent master of defence, parried a musket-ball with a small 
sword, insomuch that he absolutely felt it whiz round the blade, 
and glance off at the hilt ; in proof of which he was ready at any 
time to show the sword, with the hilt a little bent. There were 
several more that had been equally great in the field, not one of 
whom but was persuaded that he had a considerable hand in 
bringing the war to a happy termination. 

50. But all these were nothing to the tales of ghosts and 
apparitions that succeeded. The neighborhood is rich in legen- 
dary treasures of the kind. Local tales and superstitions thrive 
best in these sheltered, long-settled retreats; but are trampled 
underfoot by the shifting throng that forms the population of 
most of our country places. Besides, there is no encouragement 
for ghosts in most of our villages, for they have scarcely had 
time to finish their first nap, and turn themselves in their graves 
before their surviving friends have travelled away from the 



60 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

neighborhood ; so that when they turn out at night to walk their 
rounds, they have no acquaintance left to call upon. This is per- 
haps the reason why we so seldom hear of ghosts, except in our 
long-established Dutch communities. 

51. The immediate cause, however, of the prevalence of super- 
natural stories in these parts was doubtless owing to the vicinity 
of Sleepy Hollow. There was a contagion in the very air that 
blew from that haunted region ; it breathed forth an atmosphere 
of dreams and fancies infecting all the land. Several of the 
Sleepy Hollow people were present at Van Tassel's, and, as usual, 
were doling out their wild and wonderful legends. Many dismal 
tales were told about funeral trains, and mourning cries and wail- 
ings heard and seen about the great tree where the unfortunate 
Major Andre 13 was taken, and which stood in the neighborhood. 
Some mention was made also of the woman in white, that haunted 
the dark glen at Raven Rock, and was often heard to shriek on 
winter nights before a storm, having perished there in the snow. 
The chief part of the stories, however, turned upon the favorite 
spectre of Sleepy Hollow, the headless horseman, who had been 
heard several times of late, patrolling the country; and, it was 
said, tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the church- 
yard. 

52. The sequestered situation of this church seems always to 
have made it a favorite haunt of troubled spirits. It stands on 
a knoll, surrounded by locust-trees and lofty elms, from among 
which its decent whitewashed walls shine modestly forth, like 
Christian purity beaming through the shades of retirement. A 
gentle slope descends from it to a silver sheet of water, bordered 
by high trees, between which peeps may be caught at the blue 
hills of the Hudson. To look upon its grass-grown yard, where 
the sunbeams seem to sleep so quietly, one would think that there 
at least the dead might rest in peace. On one side of the church 
extends a wide woody dell, along which raves a large brook 
among broken rocks and trunks of fallen trees. Over a deep 

13 Major Andre: The agent appointed by the British to confer 
with Benedict Arnold relative to the transfer of American forts to 
the British. After the meeting he was captured near Tarrytown. 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 6l 

black part of the stream, not far from the church, was formerly 
thrown a wooden bridge ; the road that led to it, and the bridge 
itself, were thickly shaded by overhanging trees, which cast a 
gloom about it, even in the daytime, but occasioned a fearful 
darkness at night. This was one of the favorite haunts of the 
headless horseman ; and the place where he was most frequently 
encountered. The tale was told of old Brouwer, a most heretical 
disbeliever in ghosts, how he met the horseman returning from 
his foray into Sleepy Hollow, and was obliged to get up behind 
him; how they galloped over bush and brake, over hill and 
swamp, until they reached the bridge; when the horseman sud- 
denly turned into a skeleton, threw old Brouwer into the brook, 
and sprang away over the tree-tops with a clap of thunder. 

53. This story was immediately matched by a thrice marvel- 
lous adventure of Brom Bones, who made light of the galloping 
Hessian as an arrant jockey. He affirmed that, on returning 
one night from the neighboring village of Sing Sing, he had 
been overtaken by this midnight trooper ; that he had offered to 
race with him for a bowl of punch, and should have won it too, 
for Daredevil beat the goblin horse all hollow, but, just as they 
came to the church-bridge, the Hessian bolted, and vanished in 
a flash of fire. 

54.' All these tales, told in that drowsy undertone with which 
men talk in the dark, the countenances of the listeners only now 
and then receiving a casual gleam from the glare of a pipe, sank 
deep in the mind of Ichabod. He repaid them in kind with large 
extracts from his invaluable author, Cotton Mather, and added 
many marvellous events that had taken place in his native State 
of Connecticut, and fearful sights which he had seen in his 
nightly walks about the Sleepy Hollow. 

55. The revel now gradually broke up. The old farmers 
gathered together their families in their wagons, and were heard 
for some time rattling along the hollow roads, and over the 
distant hills. Some of the damsels mounted on pillions behind 
their favorite swains, and their light-hearted laughter, mingling 
with the clatter of hoofs, echoed along the silent woodlands, 
sounding fainter and fainter until they gradually died away — 



62 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

and the late scene of noise and frolic was all silent and deserted. 
Ichabod only lingered behind, according to the custom of coun- 
try lovers, to have a tete-a-tete with the heiress, fully convinced 
that he was now on the high road to success. What passed at 
this interview I will not pretend to say, for in fact I 
do not know. Something, however, I fear me, must have 
gone wrong, for he certainly sallied forth, after no very great 
interval, with an air quite desolate and chopfallen. — Oh, these 
women ! these women ! Could that girl have been playing off 
any of her coquettish tricks? — Was her encouragement of the 
poor pedagogue all a mere sham to secure her conquest of his 
rival ? — Heaven only knows, not I ! — Let it suffice to say, Icha- 
bod stole forth with the air of one who had been sacking a hen- 
roost rather than a fair lady's heart. Without looking to the 
right or left to notice the scene of rural wealth on which he had 
so often gloated, he went straight to the stable, and with several 
hearty cuffs and kicks, roused his steed most uncourteously from 
the comfortable quarters in which he was soundly sleeping, 
dreaming of mountains of corn and oats, and whole valleys of 
timothy and clover. 

56. It was the very witching time of night that Ichabod, 
heavy-hearted and crest-fallen, pursued his travel homewards, 
along the sides of the lofty hills which rise above Tarry Town, 
and which he had traversed so cheerily in the afternoon. The 
hour was as dismal as himself. Far below him, the Tappan Zee 
spread its dusky and indistinct waste of waters, with here and 
there the tall mast of a sloop riding quietly at anchor under the 
land. In the dead hush of midnight he could even hear the 
barking of the watch-dog from the opposite shore of the Hudson ; 
but it was so vague and faint as only to give an idea of his dis- 
tance from this faithful companion of man. Now and then, too, 
the long-drawn crowing of a cock, accidentally awakened, would 
sound far, far off, from some farm-house away among the hills — 
but it was like a dreaming sound in his ear. No signs of life 
occurred near him, but occasionally the melancholy chirp of a 
cricket, or perhaps the guttural twang of a bullfrog, from a 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 63 

neighboring marsh, as if sleeping uncomfortably, and turning 
suddenly in his bed. 

57. All the stories of ghosts and goblins that he had heard 
in the afternoon, now came crowding upon his recollection. The 
night grew darker and darker; the stars seemed to sink deeper 
in the sky, and driving clouds occasionally hid them from his 
sight. He had never felt so lonely and dismal. He was, more- 
over, approaching the very place where many of the scenes of 
the ghost-stories had been laid. In the centre of the road stood 
an enormous tulip-tree, which towered like a giant above all 
the other trees of the neighborhood, and formed a kind of land- 
mark. Its limbs were gnarled, and fantastic, large enough to 
form trunks for ordinary trees, twisting down almost to the 
earth, and rising again into the air. It was connected with 
the tragical story of the unfortunate Andre, who had been taken 
prisoner hard by; and was universally known by the name of 
Major Andre's tree. The common people regarded it with a 
mixture of respect and superstition, partly out of sympathy for 
the fate of its ill-starred namesake, and partly from the tales 
of strange sights and doleful lamentations told concerning it. 

58. As Ichabod approached this fearful tree, he began to 
whistle ; he thought his whistle was answered, — it was but a 
blast sweeping sharply through the dry branches. As he ap- 
proached a little nearer, he thought he saw something white, 
hanging in the midst of the tree, — he paused and ceased whist- 
ling ; but on looking more narrowly, perceived that it was a place 
where the tree had been scathed by lightning, and the white wood 
laid bare. Suddenly he heard a groan, — his teeth chattered 
and his knees smote against the saddle: it was but the rubbing 
of one huge bough upon another, as they were swayed about by 
the breeze. He passed the tree in safety; but new perils lay 
before him. 

59. About two hundred yards from the tree a small brook 
crossed the road, and ran into a marshy and thickly wooded 
glen, known by the name of Wiley's swamp. A few rough 
logs, laid side by side, served for a bridge over this stream. 



64 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLtOW 

On that side of the road where the brook entered the wood, a 
group of oaks and chestnuts, matted thick with wild grape- 
vines, threw a cavernous gloom over it. To pass this bridge 
was the severest trial. It was at this identical spot that the 
unfortunate Andre was captured, and under the covert of those 
chestnuts and vines were the sturdy yeomen concealed who 
surprised him. This has ever since been considered a haunted 
stream, and fearful are the feelings of the school boy who has 
to pass it alone after dark. 

60. As he approached the stream, his heart began to thump; 
he summoned up, however, all his resolution, gave his horse 
half a score of kicks in the ribs, and attempted to dash briskly 
across the bridge; but instead of starting forward, the perverse 
old animal made a lateral movement, and ran broadside against 
the fence. Ichabod, whose fears increased with the delay, 
jerked the reins on the other side, and kicked lustily with the 
contrary foot: it was all in vain; his steed started, it is true, 
but it was only to plunge to the opposite side of the road into a 
thicket of brambles and alder bushes. The schoolmaster now 
bestowed both whip and heel upon the starveling ribs of old 
Gunpowder, who dashed forward, snuffling and snorting, but 
came to a stand just by the bridge, with a suddenness that had 
nearly sent his rider sprawling over his head. Just at this 
moment a plashy tramp by the side of the bridge caught the 
sensitive ear of Ichabod. In the dark shadow of the grove, on 
the margin of the brook, he beheld something huge, misshapen, 
black, and towering. It stirred not, but seemed gathered up in 
the gloom, like some gigantic monster ready to spring upon 
the traveller. 

61. The hair of the affrighted pedagogue rose upon his head 
with terror. What was to be done? To turn and fly was 
now too late; and besides, what chance was there of escaping 
ghost or goblin, if such it was, which could ride upon the 
wings of the wind ? Summoning up, therefore, a show of cour- 
age, he demanded in stammering accents — "Who are you?" 
He received no reply. He repeated his demand in a still more 
agitated voice. Still there was no answer. Once more he cud- 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW. 65 

gelled the sides of the inflexible Gunpowder, and, shutting his 
eyes, broke forth with involuntary fervor into a psalm-tune. 
Just then the shadowy object of alarm put itself in motion, 
and, with a scramble and a bound, stood at once in the middle 
of the road. Though the night was dark and dismal, yet the 
form of the unknown might now in some degree be ascertained. 
He appeared to be a horseman of large dimensions, and mounted 
on a black horse of powerful frame. He made no offer of 
molestation or sociability, but kept aloof on one side of the road, 
jogging along on the blind side of old Gunpowder, who had now 
got over his fright and waywardness. 

62. Ichabod, who had no relish for this strange midnight 
companion, and bethought himself of the adventure of Brom 
Bones with the Galloping Hessian, now quickened his steed, 
in hopes of leaving him behind. The stranger, however, quick- 
ened his horse to an equal pace. Ichabod pulled up, and fell 
into a walk, thinking to lag behind, — the other did the same. 
His heart began to sink within him; he endeavored to resume 
his psalm-tune, but his parched tongue clove to the roof of his 
mouth, and he could not utter a stave. There was something 
in the moody and dogged silence of this pertinacious companion, 
that was mysterious and appalling. It was soon fearfully ac- 
counted for. On mounting a rising ground, which brought the 
figure of his fellow-traveller in relief against the sky, gigantic in 
height, and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horror-struck, on 
perceiving that he was headless ! — but his horror was still more 
increased, on observing that the head, which should have rested 
on his shoulders, was carried before him on the pommel of the 
saddle: his terror rose to desperation; he rained a shower of 
kicks and blows upon Gunpowder, hoping, by a sudden move- 
ment, to give his companion the slip, — but the spectre started 
full jump with him. Away then they dashed, through thick 
and thin; stones flying, and sparks flashing at every bound. 
Ichabod's flimsy garments fluttered in the air, as he stretched 
his long lank body away over his horse's head, in the eagerness of 
his flight. 

63. They had now reached the road which turns off to Sleepy 



66 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY .HOLLOW 

Hollow; but Gunpowder, who seemed possessed with a demon, 
instead of keeping up it, made an opposite turn, and plunged 
headlong downhill to the left. This road leads through a sandy 
hollow, shaded by trees for about a quarter of a mile, where it 
crosses the bridge famous in goblin story, and just beyond swells 
the green knoll on which stands the whitewashed church. 

64. As yet the panic of the steed had given his unskilful 
rider an apparent advantage in the chase; but just as he had 
got half-way through the hollow, the girths of the saddle gave 
way, and he felt it slipping from under him. He seized it by 
the pommel, and endeavored to hold it firm, but in vain; and 
had just time to save himself by clasping old Gunpowder 
round the neck, when the saddle fell to the earth, and he 
heard it trampled underfoot by his pursuer. For a moment 
the terror of Hans Van Ripper's wrath passed across his mind 
— for it was his Sunday saddle; but this was no time for 
petty fears; the goblin was hard on his haunches; and (un- 
skilful rider that he was!) he had much ado to maintain his 
seat; sometimes slipping on one side, sometimes on another, 
and sometimes jolted on the high ridge of his horse's back- 
bone, with a violence that he verily feared would cleave him 
asunder. 

65. An opening in the trees now cheered him with the hopes 
that the church-bridge was at hand. The wavering reflection 
of a silver star in the bosom of the brook told him that he was 
not mistaken. He saw the walls of the church dimly glaring 
under the trees beyond. He recollected the place where Brom 
Bones's ghostly competitor had disappeared. " If I can but 
reach that bridge," thought Ichabod, " I am safe." Just then he 
heard the black steed panting and blowing close behind him; 
he even fancied that he felt his hot breath. Another convulsive 
kick in the ribs, and old Gunpowder sprang upon the bridge; 
he thundered over the resounding planks ; he gained the opposite 
side; and now Ichabod cast a look behind to see if his pursuer 
should vanish, according to rule, in a flash of fire and brimstone. 
Just then he saw the goblin rising in his stirrups, and in the 
very act of hurling his head at him. Ichabod endeavored to 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 67 

dodge the horrible missile, but too late. It encountered his 
cranium with a tremendous crash, — he was tumbled headlong 
into the dust, and Gunpowder, the black steed, and the goblin 
rider, passed by like a whirlwind. 

66. The next morning the old horse was found without his 
saddle, and with the bridle under his feet, soberly cropping the 
grass at his master's gate. Ichabod did not make his appearance 
at breakfast; — dinner-hour came, but no Ichabod. The boys 
assembled at the school-house, and strolled idly about the banks 
of the brook ; but no schoolmaster. Hans Van Ripper now began 
to feel some uneasiness about the fate of poor Ichabod, and his 
saddle. An inquiry was set on foot, and after diligent investiga- 
tion they came upon his traces. In one part of the road leading 
to the church was found the saddle trampled in the dirt; the 
tracks of horses' hoofs deeply dented in the road, and evidently 
at furious speed, were traced to the bridge, beyond which, on the 
bank of a broad part of the brook, where the water ran deep 
and black, was found the hat of the unfortunate Ichabod, and 
close beside it a shattered pumpkin. 

67. The brook was searched, but the body of the schoolmaster 
was not to be discovered. Hans Van Ripper, as executor of 
his estate, examined the bundle which contained all his worldly 
effects. They consisted of two shirts and a half; two stocks for 
the neck; a pair or two of worsted stockings; an old pair of 
corduroy small-clothes; a rusty razor; a book of psalm-tunes, 
full of dogs' ears, and a broken pitchpipe. As to the books and 
furniture of the school-house, they belonged to the community, 
excepting Cotton Mather's " History of Witchcraft," a " New 
England Almanac," and a book of dreams and fortune-telling; 
in which last was a sheet of foolscap much scribbled and blotted 
in several fruitless attempts to make a copy of verses in honor 
o'f the heiress of Van Tassel. These magic books and the poetic 
scrawl were forthwith consigned to the flames by Hans Van 
Ripper; who from that time forward determined to send his 
children no more to school ; observing, that he never knew any 
good come of this same reading and writing. Whatever money 
the schoolmaster possessed, and he had received his quarter's 



68 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

pay but a day or two before, he must have had about his person 
at the time of his disappearance. 

68. The mysterious event caused much speculation at the 
church on the following Sunday. Knots of gazers and gossips 
were collected in the churchyard, at the bridge, and at the spot 
where the hat and pumpkin had been found. The stories of 
Brouwer, of Bones, and a whole budget of others, were called 
to mind ; and when they had diligently considered them all, and 
compared them with the symptoms of the present case, they 
shook their heads, and came to the conclusion that Ichabod had 
been carried off by the Galloping Hessian. As he was a bachelor, 
and in nobody's debt, nobody troubled his head any more about 
him. The school was removed to a different quarter of the 
Hollow, and another pedagogue reigned in his stead. 

69. It is true, an old farmer, who had been down to New 
York on a visit several years after, and from whom this account 
of the ghostly adventure was received, brought home the in- 
telligence that Ichabod Crane was still alive : that he had left the 
neighborhood, partly through fear of the goblin and Hans Van 
Ripper, and partly in mortification at having been suddenly dis- 
missed by the heiress; that he had changed his quarters to a 
distant part of the country ; had kept school and studied law at 
the same time, had been admitted to the bar, turned politician, 
electioneered, written for the newspapers, and finally had been 
made a justice of the Ten Pound Court. Brom Bones too, who 
shortly after his rival's disappearance conducted the blooming 
Katrina in triumph to the altar, was observed to look exceeding 
knowing whenever the story of Ichabod was related, and always 
burst into a hearty laugh at the mention of the pumpkin ; which 
led some to suspect that he knew more about the matter than he 
chose to tell. 

70. The old country wives, however, who are the best judges 
of these matters, maintain to this day that Ichabod was spirited 
away by supernatural means ; and it is a favorite story often told 
about the neighborhood round the winter evening fire. The 
bridge became more than ever an object of superstitious awe, 
and that may be the reason why the road has been altered of 



THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 69 

late years, so as to approach the church by the border of the 
imill-pond. The school-house, being deserted, soon fell to decay, 
and was reported to be haunted by the ghost of the unfortunate 
pedagogue; and the plough-boy, loitering homeward of a still 
summer evening, has often fancied his voice at a distance, chant- 
ing a melancholy psalm-tune among the tranquil solitudes of 
Sleepy Hollow. 

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 
Class Discussion 

Is the scene of " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow " near that 
of "Rip Van Winkle"? Do the characters belong to the 
same class of people? What incident of the Revolutionary 
War is mentioned? What historical character of an earlier 
period is mentioned? Is the country pictured as a sort of 
fairy-land or as an ordinary country district? Are the 
supernatural happenings that are mentioned given with a 
view of throwing light on the character of the people, or 
does the author expect you to believe that such things actu- 
ally occurred? 

Can you recall having seen a country schoolhouse like 
Ichabod's? Note the details of the description of Van 
Tassel's house in paragraph 20. Judging from this para- 
graph, do you think that Irving was a careful observer? 
Is the picture true to life? 

Read again the description of Ichabod in paragraph 8. 
Does the author overdraw the picture? If so, is the story 
better for having given you an unnatural picture of the 
hero? 

How did Ichabod think children should be governed? 
How and where did Ichabod live? What else could he do 
besides teach? How was he regarded by the girls of the 
community? What did the young men think of him? 
Prove that he really did believe in ghosts. 



70 THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

Does Irving describe animals well? Give several ex- 
amples in proof of your answer. What points in the 
story strike you as being especially humorous ? Prepare to 
tell the story in class. 



V 

PRONOUNS 

A pronoun is a word used for a noun. There are five 
classes of pronouns : 
i. Personal 

2. Relative 

3. Interrogative 

4. Demonstrative 

5. Indefinite. 

Personal Pronouns. A personal pronoun is one that 
shows by its form whether it denotes the person speaking 
(first person), the person spoken to (second person), or 
the person or thing spoken of (third person). They are 
declined as follows : 



FIRST PERSON 


r 


SECOND 


1 PERSON 


Singular 


Plural 


Singular 


Plural 


Nom. I 


we 


you 


you 


Acc.Dat. me 


us 


you 


you 




THIRD PERSON 






Singular 




Plural 


Masculine 


Feminine 


Neuter 


All genders 


Nom. he 


she 


it 


they 


Ace. Dat. him 


her 


it 


them 



You was originally a plural form only and still takes a 
plural verb even when it refers to one person. The older 

7i 



72 PRONOUNS 

form of the second personal pronoun — thou — is found in 
the Bible, in devotional language, and in poetry, but is no 
longer in common use. 

Thou shalt not steal. 
It is declined as follows : 

Singular Plural 

Nom. thou ye 

Ace. Dat thee you 

Uses. Personal pronouns usually have the same uses as 
nouns. The most common constructions are as follows: 
Nominative Forms 

i. Subject of a verb. They have sold the house. 

2. Predicate noun. It is /. 

3. Absolute construe- She having left, we resumed 
tion. the conversation. 

Accusative Forms 

1. Object of a verb or The ball hit me. 
preposition. The child was cured by him. 

2. Subject of an infini- I believe them to be honest 
tive. men. 

3. Predicate of an in- The servant was told to call 
finitive. her. 

Dative Forms 

1. Indirect object. The dog gave me the stick. 

Possessive Forms. The possessive forms my, mine, our, 
ours, thy, thine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, their, theirs, 
and whose are known as possessive adjectives. The forms 
my, thy, her, its, our, your, and their are used only as modi- 
fiers of nouns. 

This is our house. 
Where is her book? 
The forms mine, thine, hers, ours, yours, and theirs are 
used alone. 



PRONOUNS 73 

It is mine. 

This is my hat and that is yours. 
His may be used either with a noun or alone. 

This is his book and that is also his. 
When a noun or pronoun modifies a gerund (see page 
131), the possessive form must always be used. 

Wrong : He cried out against any man attempting such 

a task. 
Right: He cried out against any man's attempting 

such a task. 
Wrong: He had no objection to me being present. 
Right: He had no objection to my being present. 
The apostrophe, which is used to denote the genitive case 
of a noun, is never used with a personal pronoun. Such 
forms as yours truly, theirs, it's, etc., are therefore incor- 
rect. Care should be taken to distinguish between it's, the 
contraction for it is, and the possessive adjective its. 

It. The following special uses of it should, however, be 
noted : 

1. Anticipative Subject. 

It is reported that he is dead. 
Here it is used for that he is dead. 

2. Indefinite Subject or Object. 

It rains. 

They were told to fight it out. 
Compound Personal Pronouns. Compound personal 
pronouns are formed by adding self or selves to certain 
forms of the personal pronouns. 

First Person myself ourselves 

Second Person thyself, yourself yourselves 

( himself 
Third Person \ herself themselves. 

I itself 



74 PRONOUNS 

They are used as : 

i. Reflective Pronouns. 

He conquered himself. 
2. Intensive Pronouns. 

The teacher himself took part in the game. 

They should not be used in place of the simple personal 
pronoun. 

Wrong: Your father and myself were boys together. 
Right : Your father and I were boys together. 
Wrong: Yourself and wife are invited. 
Right : You and your wife are invited. 
Exercise. Write sentences using the first personal pro- 
noun in all its possible forms and uses. 

Relative Pronouns. Relative pronouns have a two-fold 
function: (i) they refer to a preceding noun or pronoun 
called the antecedent, and (2) they join the clause in which 
they stand to this antecedent. 

I have read the book which you gave me. 
The relative pronouns are who, which, what, and that. 
Who refers to persons only. 
Nom. who 

Ace. Dat. whom 1 

Which refers to things. 
Nom. which 

Ace. Dat. which 

The house which you wanted is sold. 
That refers to either persons or things. 
Nom. that 

Ace. Dat. that 

This is the man that spoke. 

1 Whose, which may refer to either persons or things, is usually 
regarded as the genitive case of who, but the Joint Committee on 
Grammatical Nomenclature (page 15) has recommended that it be 
classed as a possessive adjective. See page J2. 



PRONOUNS 75 

Sometimes the relative pronoun is omitted. 

You are the very man (that) I want to see. 
What has no antecedent and is indeclinable. 
He took what he wanted. 

Determinative and Descriptive Clauses. A determi- 
native clause is one that tells who, what, or which is meant 
by the antecedent to which the relative clause is attached. 
It corresponds to the definite article or the demonstrative 
pronoun. The descriptive clause merely describes the ante- 
cedent and thus corresponds to a descriptive adjective. 
That introduces only determinative clauses; who and which 
may introduce either determinative or descriptive clauses. 
Descriptive clauses are usually set off by commas ; determi- 
native clauses are not. See page 278. 

Determinative : This is the man that brought me home. 

Determinative: The girl who has just passed is my 
friend. 

Descriptive : Carnegie, who was born in poverty, is now 
a millionaire. 

Determinative : The coat which you sold me fits per- 
fectly. 

Descriptive: Cuba, which was once owned by Spain, is 
now free. 

Case. Since pronouns are inflected to denote case rela- 
tions, the student should be careful always to use the proper 
case form. The constructions in which mistakes are 
most likely to occur are illustrated in the following para- 
graphs : 

1. The first and third personal pronouns when used in 
combination with the second personal pronoun are often put 
in the nominative case when they should be put in the ac- 
cusative or dative case. 

Wrong: The child saw you and I before he saw the 
others. 



76 PRONOUNS 

Right : The child saw you and me before he saw the 
others. 
The confusion arises from the fact that you is both nomi- 
native and accusative, and its combination with the nomina- 
tive case of the first and third personal pronouns thus be- 
comes familiar to us. 

2. The use of such parenthetical expressions as he says, 
I thought, etc., does not affect the case of the pronoun. 

Wrong : He is a teacher whom I think will succeed. 
Right : He is a teacher who I think will succeed. 
Who is the subject of will succeed and not the object of 
think. The clause / think is purely parenthetical. 

3. The subject of an infinitive is put in the accusative 
case. See page 32. 

I believe him to be an impostor. 
This is the candidate whom I nominated to be 
president. 

4. The object of a verb or preposition should always be 
in the accusative case. When the object precedes the verb, 
the nominative case is often wrongly used. 

Wrong: Who did she marry? 
Right: Whom did she marry? 
Wrong : Who did you give it to ? 
Right: Whom did you give it to? 

5. A relative pronoun which is the subject of a verb must 
be put in the nominative case, even though it be immediately 
preceded by another verb or a preposition. In such cases 
the object of the first verb or preposition is not the relative 
pronoun but the entire clause introduced by the relative 
pronoun. 

Wrong : Let honor be given to whomever deserves it. 
Right : Let honor be given to whoever deserves it. 
Whoever is the subject of deserves; the indirect object of 
given is the clause zvhoever deserves it. 



PRONOUNS 77 

Wrong: The question of whom should volunteer was 

not even raised. 
Right: The question of who should volunteer was 
not even raised. 
6. A relative pronoun agrees with its antecedent in per- 
son and number, but its case is determined by its use in the 
sentence. 

I give the crown to thee who hast well deserved it. 

Both thee and who are of the same person and number 

(second person, singular), but thee is in the dative case as 

the indirect object of give, while who is in the nominative 

case as the subject of the relative clause. 

I give the crown to thee whom I have always 
trusted. 
Here whom is in the accusative case as the object of have 
trusted. 

Exercises, (a) Fill the blanks with who or whom as the 
construction may require. Give the reason for your choice 
in each instance. 

1. He saw approaching the man he thought was far 

away. 

2. — did they get to deliver the oration ? 

3. She could not decide to give the prize to. 

4. did you see ? 

5. It is easier to respect a man has always had 

our respect than a man we know to be no better than 

ourselves. 

6. do you take me to be ? 

y t do you think she will choose ? 

8. do you think is the brighter of these two pupils? 

9. He is not a man I would trust. 

10. He was a clerk his employer had the utmost 

confidence in. 

(b) Correct all errors of case in the pronouns in the fol- 



78 PRONOUNS 

lowing sentences, giving your reason for each correction. 
Two of the sentences contain no errors. 

i„ The captain was extremely courteous to my mother 
and I. 

2. Have you any objection to me coming? 

3. Lynette spurns Gareth who she believes to be a servant. 

4. I did not know who the speaker had reference to. 

5. Whom did you say had come? 

6. I have been betrayed by the man who of all my asso- 
ciates I trusted most. 

7. The other speakers protested against him talking to 
the judges. 

8. He is a leader whom, I say, can be depended upon in 
every crisis. 

9. All business transactions between you and I are ended. 
10. I saw before me he who had always befriended me. 
n. He did not object to them refusing to hear him. 

12. I do not know whom to believe in this case. 

13. There has been no agreement between the manager and 
I as to the amount due the players. 

14. All students who the principal thought to be neglect- 
ing their work were dismissed. 

15. Who was the man who spoke to you and I? 

16. The person who I next questioned could give me no 
information. 

17. Every boy who I passed gazed at me with envious eyes. 

18. I saw you and he go into the store on the corner. 

19. Who did she call? 

20. She is a servant whom, I believe, will do her best. 

21. Do not count the cost but send whomever will go. 

22. There was no doubt whatever as to who the message 
was intended for. 

23. The letter dispelled all doubt as to whom the culprits 
were. 



PRONOUNS 79 

24. When he hears our story he will have to acknowledge 
that he owes his escape to you and I. 

25. Who is she, and why does she stare at you and me? 
Interrogative Pronouns. Interrogative pronouns are 

used in asking questions. They are who, which, and what. 
Who refers to persons; what refers to things; and which 
refers to either persons or things. Which and what are in- 
declinable ; who is declined as follows : 
Nom. who 

Ace, Dat. whom 

Who goes there? 
What did he give you? 
Which is your house ? 
For whose see note on page 74. 

Demonstrative Pronouns. Demonstrative pronouns 
point out the person or thing referred to. There are only 
two — this and that. 

Singular Plural 

this these 

that those 

This and these refer to something near the speaker; that 
and those refer to something farther off. 
This is my horse and that is his. 
Indefinite Pronouns. Indefinite pronouns do not point 
out definitely the person or thing referred to. The prin- 
cipal indefinite pronouns are any, some, one, none, either, 
neither, every, many, feiv, all, both, several, and each. 
Several were present. 
Some said one thing and some another. 
In the use of indefinite pronouns the writer should pre- 
serve the distinction between those which are single words 
and those which consist of two related words. Compounds 
formed with -body and -thing are single words; those 
formed with one are two words. 



80 PRONOUNS 

nobody no one 

something some one 

anything any one 

anybody 
Each, either, neither, and the pronouns in the above list 
are in the singular number, and should, therefore, agree 
with singular verbs and pronouns. The writer should no- 
tice carefully his pronoun in order to see that it agrees in 
number with the verbs, nouns, and pronouns connected with 
it. None is both singular and plural according to its mean- 
ing. 

Wrong: Nobody wore their hat. 
Right: Nobody wore his hat. 
Wrong: Every one were shouting loudly. 
Right : Every one was shouting loudly. 
Pronominal Adjectives. The interrogatives and rela- 
tives which and what, the demonstratives, and the indefi- 
nites are frequently used to modify a noun; when so used 
they are known as pronominal adjectives. 
Which kind did she choose ? 
These apples are green. 
Some men appeared upon the scene. 
He was absent two years, during which time his mother 
died. 
The possessive forms my, mine, your, yours, her, hers, 
whose, etc., should also be classed as pronominal adjectives. 
See page 72. 

Parsing. In parsing a pronoun give its : 

1. Class — personal, relative, descriptive or determina- 
tive, interrogative, etc. 

2. Person 

3. Number 

4. Gender 

5. Case and why 



PRONOUNS 8l 

6. Antecedent. 

Thus, — 

He is the man who lost these keys. 

He is a personal pronoun, third person, singular number, 
masculine gender, nominative case because it is the subject 
of is. Who is a determinative relative pronoun, singular 
number, masculine gender, nominative case because it is 
the subject of lost. Its antecedent is man. These is a pro- 
nominal adjective, plural number, modifying keys. 

Exercises, (a) Underscore the pronouns in the first 
five paragraphs of " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. " Ar- 
range them in columns according to their classes. 

(b) Find five determinative and five descriptive relative 
clauses in " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." 

(c) Find five compound personal pronouns in the same 
selection and show how they are used. 

(d) Parse the pronouns and the possessive and pro- 
nominal adjectives in the following sentences: 

i. He told me that his ship was safe. 

2. We should forgive men their trespasses. 

3. It rains and the wind is never weary. 

4. Would you do such a thing as that ? 

5. The evil that men do lives after them. — Shakespeare. 

6. It is cold and damp here. 

7. He will do what you ask. 

8. It is well to think before you speak. 

9. Now I lay me down to sleep. 

10. Even the leader himself was mistaken. 

11. What harm can come from such action? 

12. She hath done what she could. 

13. It is believed by certain astronomers that Mars is in- 
habited. 

14. What glitters is not always gold. 

15. Who steals my purse steals trash. — Shakespeare. 



82 PRONOUNS 

1 6. All the students did their best. 

17. Few shall part where many meet. 

18. I have no money; give me some. 

19. What he does is well done. 

20. Who is he that shall dare to oppose me ? 

21. She took what was given her. 

22. Nor is he the wisest man who never proved himself a 
fool. — Tennyson. 

23. I did not hear what he said. 

24. This is too large; the other was smaller than this. 

25. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. — Psalms. 

26. Trip it lightly as you go. 

2.J. I myself heard what he said and did not deny it. 

28. Neither received what he asked for. 

29. He laughs best who laughs last. 

30. England expects every man to do his duty. 

31. My speech, which was longer than his, was awarded the 
medal that the trustees offered. 

32. Any man who would do such a deed as this is not 
worthy of my respect. 

33. Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he 
fall. — Proverbs. 

34. Among the survivors of the wreck of the Titanic were 
two children whose mother had been lost ; they were cared 
for by a stewardess whom they captivated by their winning 
ways. 

35. Give me that man that is not passion's slave 

And I will wear him in my heart's core. — Shakespeare. 

(e) Correct all errors in the use of pronouns in the follow- 
ing sentences, giving your reason for each correction. Three 
of the sentences have no errors in them. 

1. Frank Bracebridge and myself walked home after the 
services. 



PRONOUNS 83 

2. No one except the Squire observes the old-fashioned 
Christmas customs in their home. 

3. The castle has now fallen into decay, but it's old watch 
tower still looks down upon the surrounding country. 

4. Each in their turn handed in their ticket. 

5. Her's were only the faults of the superannuated 
spinster. 

6. Everybody loves his family fireside. 

7. It is these kind of reports that stir up strife and envy. 

8. Everybody knows that its a long lane that has no turn. 

9. Any one can tell the difference between their's and mine 
in a case like this. 

10. The only sentence in the note was, " Myself and friend 
will come." 

1 1. Every one of the lawyers to which he was sent gave him 
the same answer. 

12. At this time there were only three states who had not 
seceded. 

13. He expected a letter from myself which should tell him 
all that he should do. 

14. Ross Hamilton, that sat next to me at school, has been 
elected to Congress. 

15. The Philippine Islands, that were once Spanish posses- 
sions, now belong to the United States. 

16. He is one of these men who is always trying to be 
funny. 

17. Who can blame her for confusing her sister's books 
with her own ? 

18. If any one comes, pay no attention to them. 

19. Who sold you these sort of apples ? 

20. One of the authors who has helped me a great deal in 
my own writing is Stevenson. 

21. If there is any one in the room who does not believe this, 
will they please hold up their hand. 



84 PRONOUNS 

22. The riot was started by one of the men that loafs about 
street corners. 

23. Everybody who was there declared that they had never 
had a better time. 

24. Nobody wants their rest disturbed in this fashion and 
at this hour of the night. 

25. If a man think himself to be something when he is 
nothing, he deceiveth himself. — Proverbs. 

26. No one of the missing students were found in their 
rooms. 

27. My wife and myself have enjoyed our visit. 

28. Our visitor took my umbrella and left his in it's place. 

. 29. Every one may put these theories into practice in their 
own way. 

30. Neither of these watches are worth buying. 

31. There are ten errors in the following letter. 
Dear Harry, 

1 Received your letter this morning. 1 Was sorry to hear 
of you breaking your collar bone in the last football game. 
Everybody must take their chances in a game like that, and 
I know that you are not one of those fellows that is afraid of 
getting hurt. In spite of the danger its a fine game and will 
make a man of anyone who keeps at it. 

Take care of yourself and get back to work as soon as 
possible. Your books are the chief things you should be con- 
cerned about while you are in school. Remember that you 
and myself have the responsibility of the family upon our 
shoulders. Father is too old to work, and his duties, that 
were never light, are now our's. 

Sincerely your's, 
Robert. 

1 See page 23. 



VI 

THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 

a traveller's tale * 

1. On the summit of one of the heights of the Odenwald, a 
wild and romantic tract o»f Upper Germany, that lies not far from 
the confluence of the Main and the Rhine, there stood, many, 
many years since, the Castle of the Baron Von Landshort. 1 It 
is now quite fallen to decay, and almost buried among beech- 
trees and dark firs; above which, however, its olcj watch-tower 
may still be seen, struggling, like the former possessor I have 
mentioned, to carry a high head, and look down upon the neigh- 
boring country. 

2. The baron was a dry branch of the great family of Katze- 
nellenbogen,** and inherited the relics of the property, and all 
the pride of his ancestors. Though the warlike disposition of his 
predecessors had much impaired the family possessions, yet the 
baron still endeavored to keep up some show of former state. 
The times were peaceable, and the German nobles, in general, 
had abandoned their inconvenient old castles, perched like eagles' 
nests among the mountains, and had built more convenient resi- 
dences in the valleys : still the baron remained proudly drawn up 



* The erudite reader, well versed in good-for-nothing lore will 
perceive that the above Tale must have been suggested to the old 
Swiss by a little French anecdote, a circumstance said to have taken 
place at Paris. [Irving's note.] 

** Cat's-Elbow. The name of a family of those parts very 
powerful in former times. The appellation, we are told, was given in 
compliment to a peerless dame of the family, celebrated for her fine 
arm. [Irving's note.] 

1 Baron Von Landshort: The humor of Irving appears in his use 
of absurd names for his characters. 

S5 



86 THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 

in his little fortress, cherishing, with hereditary inveterancy, all 
the old family feuds; so that he was on ill terms with some of 
his nearest neighbors, on account of disputes that had happened 
between their great-great-grandfathers. 

3. The baron had but one child, a daughter; but nature, when 
she grants but one child, always compensates by making it a 
prodigy; and so it was with the daughter of the baron. All 
the nurses, gossips, and country cousins assured her father that 
she had not her equal for beauty in all Germany ; and who should 
know better than they? She had, moreover, been brought up 
with great care under the superintendence of two maiden aunts, 
who had spent some years of their early life at one of the little 
German courts, and were skilled in all the branches of knowledge 
necessary to the education of a fine lady. Under their instruc- 
tions she became a miracle of accomplishments. By the time she 
was eighteen, she could embroider to admiration, and had worked 
whole histories of the saints in tapestry, with such strength of 
expression in their countenances, that they looked like so many 
souls in purgatory. She could read without great difficulty, and 
had spelled her way through several church legends, and almost 
all the chivalric wonders of the Heldenbuch. 2 She had even 
made considerable proficiency in writing; could sign her own 
name without missing a letter, and so legibly, that her aunts 
could read it without spectacles. She excelled in making little 
elegant good-for-nothing lady-like knickknacks of all kinds; 
was versed in the most abstruse dancing of the day; played a 
number of airs on the harp and guitar ; and knew all the tender 
ballads of the Minnelieders 3 by heart. 

4. Her aunts, too, having been great flirts and coquettes in 
their younger days, were admirably calculated to be vigilant 
guardians and strict censors of the conduct of their niece; for 
there is no duenna so rigidly prudent, and inexorably decorous, 
as a superannuated coquette. She was rarely suffered out of 
their sight ; never went beyond the domains of the castle, unless 

2 Heldenbuch: Book of heroes. 

3 Minnelieders: The minnesingers, or mediaeval poets who com- 
posed and sang love songs. 






THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 87 

well attended, or rather well watched; had continual lectures 
read to her about strict decorum and implicit obedience; and, 
as to the men — pah ! — she was taught to hold them at such a 
distance, and in such absolute distrust, that, unless properly 
authorized, she would not have cast a glance upon the handsomest 
cavalier in the world — no, not if he were even lying at her 
feet. 

5. The good effects of this system were wonderfully apparent. 
The young lady was a pattern of docility and correctness. While 
others were wasting their sweetness in the glare of the world, 
and liable to be plucked and thrown aside by every hand, she was 
coyly blooming into fresh and lovely womanhood under the 
protection of those immaculate spinsters like a rose-bud blushing 
forth among guardian thorns. Her aunts looked upon her with 
pride and exultation, and vaunted that though all the other 
young ladies in the world might go astray, yet, thank Heaven, 
nothing of the kind could happen to the heiress of Katzenellen- 
bogen. 

6. But, however scantily the Baron Von Landshort might 
be provided with children, his household was by no means a 
small one; for Providence had enriched him with abundance 
of poor relations. They, one and all, possessed the affectionate 
disposition common to humble relatives; were wonderfully at- 
tracted to the baron, and took every possible occasion to come in 
swarms and enliven the castle. All family festivals were com- 
memorated by these good people at the baron's expense; and 
when they were filled with good cheer, they would declare that 
there was nothing on earth so delightful as these family meetings, 
these jubilees of the heart. 

7. The baron, though a small man, had a large soul, and it 
swelled with satisfaction at the consciousness of being the great- 
est man in the little world about him. He loved to tell long 
stories about the dark old warriors whose portraits looked grimly 
down from the walls around, and he found no listeners equal to 
those who fed at his expense. He was much given to the mar- 
vellous, and a firm believer in all those supernatural tales with 
which every mountain and valley in Germany abounds. The 



88 THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 

faith of his guests exceeded even his own, they listened to every 
tale of wonder with open eyes and mouth, and never failed to be 
astonished, even though repeated for the hundredth time. Thus 
lived the Baron Von Landshort, the oracle of his table, the ab- 
solute monarch of his little territory, and happy, above all things, 
in the persuasion that he was the wisest man of the age. 

8. At the time of which my story treats, there was a great 
family-gathering at the castle, on an affair of the utmost im- 
portance: it was to receive the destined bridegroom of the 
baron's daughter. A negotiation had been carried on between 
the father and an old nobleman of Bavaria, to unite the dig- 
nity of their houses by the marriage of their children. The 
preliminaries had been conducted with proper punctilio. The 
young people were betrothed 4 without seeing each other ; and 
the time was appointed for the marriage ceremony. The young 
Count Von Altenburg had been recalled from the army for the 
purpose, and was actually on his way to the baron's to receive 
his bride. Missives had even been received from him, from 
Wurtzburg, where he was accidentally detained, mentioning the 
day and hour when he might be expected to arrive. 

9. The castle was in a tumult of preparation to give him a 
suitable welcome. The fair bride had been decked out with un- 
common care. The two aunts had superintended her toilet, and 
quarrelled the whole morning about every article of her dress. 
The young lady had taken advantage of their contest to follow 
the bent of her own taste; and fortunately it was a good one. 
She looked as lovely as youthful bridegroom could desire; and 
the flutter of expectation heightened the lustre of her charms. 

10. The suffusions that mantled her face and neck, the gentle 
heaving of the bosom, the eye now and then lost in reverie, all 
betrayed the soft tumult that was going on in her little heart. 
The aunts were continually hovering around her; for maiden 
aunts are apt to take great interest in affairs of this nature. 
They were giving her a world of staid counsel how to deport 

4 The young people were betrothed: Marriage contracted for by 
parents is an ancient European custom which in some places continues 
down to the present. 



THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 89 

herself, what to say, and in what manner to receive the expected 
lover. 

11. The baron was no less busied in preparations. He had, 
in truth, nothing exactly to do; but he was naturally a fum- 
ing, bustling little man, and could not remain passive when 
all the world was in a hurry. He worried from top to bottom 
of the castle with an air of infinite anxiety ; he continually called 
the servants from their work to exhort them to be diligent ; and 
buzzed about every hall and chamber, as idly restless and im- 
portunate as a blue-bottle fly on a warm summer's day. 

12. In the meantime the fatted calf had been killed; the forests 
had rung with the clamor of the huntsmen; the kitchen was 
crowded with good cheer ; the cellars had yielded up whole oceans 
of Rhein-wein and Ferne-wein; and even the great Heidelberg 
tun had been laid under contribution. Everything was ready to 
receive the distinguished guest with Saus und Brans 5 in the true 
spirit of German hospitality; — but the guest delayed to make 
his appearance. Hour rolled after hour. The sun, that had 
poured his downward rays upon the rich forest of the Odenwald, 
now just gleamed along the summits of the mountains. The 
baron mounted the highest tower, and strained his eyes in hope 
of catching a distant sight of the count and his attendants. Once 
he thought he beheld them,; the sound of horns came floating 
from the valley, prolonged by the mountain echoes. A number 
of horsemen were seen far below, slowly advancing along the 
road ; but when they had nearly reached the foot of the mountain, 
they suddenly struck off in a different direction. The last ray 
of sunshine departed, — the bats began to flit by in the twilight, 
— the road grew dimmer and dimmer to the view, and nothing 
appeared stirring in it but now and then a peasant lagging home- 
ward from his labor. 

13. While the old castle of Landshort was in this state of 
perplexity, a very interesting scene was transacting in a different 
part of the Odenwald. 

14. The young Count Von Altenburg was tranquilly pur- 
suing his route in that sober jog-trot way, in which a man travels 

5 Saus und Braus: Drinks in abundance. 



90 THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 

toward matrimony when his friends have taken all the trouble 
and uncertainty of courtship off his hands, and a bride is waiting 
for him, as certainly as a dinner at the end of his journey. He 
had encountered at Wiirtzburg a youthful companion in arms, 
with whom he had seen some service on the frontiers, — Herman 
Von Starkenfaust, one of the stoutest hands and worthiest hearts 
of German chivalry, who was now returning from the army. 
His father's castle was not far distant from the old fortress of 
Landshort, although an hereditary feud rendered the families 
hostile, and strangers to each other. 

15. In the warm-hearted moment of recognition, the young 
friends related all their past adventures and fortunes, and the 
count gave the whole history of his intended nuptials with a 
young lady whom he had never seen, but of whose charms he 
had received the most enrapturing descriptions. 

16. As the route of the friends lay in the same direction, they 
agreed to perform the rest of their journey together; and, that 
they might do it the more leisurely, set off from Wiirtzburg at an 
early hour, the count having given directions for his retinue to 
follow and overtake him. 

17. They beguiled their wayfaring with recollections of their 
military scenes and adventures; but the count was apt to be a 
little tedious, now and then, about the reputed charms of his 
bride, and the felicity that awaited him. 

18. In this way they had entered among the mountains of the 
Odenwald, and were traversing one of its most lonely and 
thickly-wooded passes. It is well known that the forests of 
Germany have always, been as much infested by robbers as its 
castles by spectres ; and, at this time, the former were particularly 
numerous, from the hordes of disbanded soldiers wandering 
about the country. It will not appear extraordinary, therefore, 
that the cavaliers were attacked by a gang of these stragglers, in 
the midst of the forest. They defended themselves with bravery, 
but were nearly overpowered, when the count's retinue arrived 
to their assistance. At sight of them the robbers fled, but not 
until the count had received a mortal wound. He was slowly 
and carefully conveyed back to the city of Wiirtzburg, and a 



THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 91 

friar summoned from a neighboring convent, who was famous for 
his skill in administering to both soul and body ; but half of his 
skill was superfluous; the moments of the unfortunate count were 
numbered. 

19. With his dying breath he entreated his friend to repair 
instantly to the castle of Landshort, and explain the fatal cause 
of his not keeping his appointment with his bride. Though not 
the most ardent of lovers, he was one of the most punctilious of 
men, and appeared earnestly solicitous that his mission should be 
speedily and courteously executed. " Unless this is done," said 
he, " I shall not sleep quietly in my grave ! " He repeated these 
last words with peculiar solemnity. A request, at a moment so 
impressive, admitted no hesitation. Starkenfaust endeavored to 
soothe him to calmness ; promised faithfully to execute his wish, 
and gave him his hand in solemn pledge. The dying man pressed 
it in acknowledgment, but soon lapsed into delirium — raved 
about his bride — his engagements — his plighted word ; ordered 
his horse, that he might ride to the castle of Landshort; and 
expired in the fancied act of vaulting into the saddle. 

20. Starkenfaust bestowed a sigh and a soldier's tear on the 
untimely fate of his comrade; and then pondered on the awk- 
ward mission he had undertaken. His heart was heavy, and 
his head perplexed; for he was to present himself an unbidden 
guest among hostile people, and to damp their festivity with 
tidings fatal to their hopes. Still there were certain whisper- 
ings of curiosity in his bosom to see this far-famed beauty of 
Katzenellenbogen, so cautiously shut up from the world ; for he 
was a passionate admirer of the sex, and there was a dash of 
eccentricity and enterprise in his character that made him fond 
of all singular adventure. 

21. Previous to his departure he made all due arrangements 
with the holy fraternity of the convent for the funeral solemnities 
of his friend, who was to be buried in the cathedral of Wiirtz- 
burg, near some of his illustrious relatives ; and the mourning 
retinue of the count took charge of his remains. 

22. It is now high time that we should return to the ancient 
family of Katzenellenbogen, who were impatient for their guest, 



9 2 THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 

and still more for their dinner; and to the worthy little baron, 
whom we left airing himself on the watch-tower. 

23. Night closed in, but still no guest arrived. The baron 
descended from the tower in despair. The banquet, which had 
been delayed from hour to hour, could no longer be postponed. 
The meats were already overdone; the cook in an agony; and 
the whole household had the look of a garrison that had been 
reduced by famine. The baron was obliged reluctantly to give 
orders for the feast without the presence of the guest. All were 
seated at table, and just on the point of commencing, when the 
sound of a horn from without the gate gave notice of the approach 
of a stranger. Another long blast filled the old courts of the 
castle with its echoes, and was answered by the warder from 
the walls. The baron hastened to receive his future son-in- 
law. 

24. The drawbridge had been let down, and the stranger was 
before the gate. He was a tall, gallant cavalier, mounted on 
a black steed. His countenance was pale, but he had a beaming, 
romantic eye, and an air of stately melancholy. The baron was 
a little mortified that he should have come in this simple, solitary 
style. His dignity for a moment was ruffled, and he felt disposed 
to consider it a want of proper respect for the important occasion, 
and the important family with which he was to be connected. 
He pacified himself, however, with the conclusion, that it must 
have been youthful impatience which had induced him thus to 
spur on sooner than his attendants. 

25. " I am sorry," said the stranger, " to break in upon you 
thus unseasonably — " 

26. Here the baron interrupted him with a world of compli- 
ments and greetings; for, to tell the truth, he prided himself 
upon his courtesy and eloquence. The stranger attempted, once 
or twice, to stem the torrent of words, but in vain, so he bowed 
his head and suffered it to flow on. By the time the baron had 
come to a pause, they had reached the inner court of the castle ; 
and the stranger was again about to speak, when he was once 
more interrupted by the appearance of the female part of the 
family, leading forth the shrinking and blushing bride. He gazed 



THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 93 

on her for a moment as one entranced ; it seemed as if his whole 
soul beamed forth in the gaze, and rested upon that lovely form. 
One of the maiden aunts whispered something in her ear; she 
made an effort to speak; her moist blue eye was timidly raised; 
gave a shy glance of inquiry on the stranger ; and was cast again 
to the ground. The words died away; but there was a sweet 
smile playing about her lips, and a soft dimpling of the cheek 
that showed her glance had not been unsatisfactory. It was 
impossible for a girl of the fond age of eighteen, highly pre- 
disposed for love and matrimony, not to be pleased with so gal- 
lant a cavalier. 

27. The late hour at which the guest had arrived left no time 
for parley. The baron was peremptory, and deferred all par- 
ticular conversation until the morning, and led the way to the 
untasted banquet. 

28. It was served up in the great hall of the castle. Around 
the walls hung the hard-favored portraits of the heroes of the 
house of Katzenellenbogen, and the trophies which they had 
gained in the field and in the chase. Hacked corselets, splintered 
jousting spears, and tattered banners, were mingled with the 
spoils of sylvan warfare; the jaws of the wolf, and the tusks of 
the boar, grinned horribly among cross-bows and battle-axes, 
and a huge pair of antlers branched immediately over the head of 
the youthful bridegroom. 

29. The cavalier took but little notice of the company or 
the entertainment. He scarcely tasted the banquet, but seemed 
absorbed in admiration of his bride. He conversed in a low tone 
that could not be overheard — for the language of love is never 
loud ; but where is the female ear so dull that it cannot catch the 
softest whisper of the lover? There was a mingled tenderness 
and gravity in his manner, that appeared to have a powerful 
effect upon the young lady. Her color came and went as she 
listened with deep attention. Now and then she made some 
blushing reply, and when his eye was turned away, she would 
steal a sidelong glance at his romantic countenance, and heave a 
(gentle sigh of tender happiness. It was evident that the young 
couple were completely enamored. The aunts, who were deeply 



94 THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 

versed in the mysteries of the heart, declared that they had fallen 
in love with each other at first sight. 

30. The feast went on merrily, or at least noisily, for the 
guests were all blessed with those keen appetites that attend 
upon light purses and mountain-air. The baron told his best 
and longest stories, and never had he told them so well, or with 
such great effect. If there was anything marvellous, his auditors 
were lost in astonishment; and if anything facetious, they were 
sure to laugh exactly in the right place. The baron, it is true, 
like most great men, was too dignified to utter any joke but a dull 
one ; it was always enforced, however, by a bumper of excellent 
Hockheimer; and even a dull joke, at one's own table, served 
up with jolly old wine, is irresistible. Many good things were 
said by poorer and keener wits, that would not bear repeating, 
except on similar occasions; many sly speeches whispered in 
ladies' ears, that almost convulsed them with suppressed laughter ; 
and a song or two roared out by a poor, but merry and broad- 
faced cousin of the baron, that absolutely made the maiden aunts 
hold up their fans. 

31. Amidst all this revelry, the stranger guest maintained a 
most singular and unseasonable gravity. His countenance as- 
sumed a deeper cast of dejection as the evening advanced; and, 
strange as it may appear, even the baron's jokes seemed only to 
render him the more melancholy. At times he was lost in 
thought, and at times there was a perturbed and restless wander- 
ing of the eye that bespoke a mind but ill at ease. His conversa- 
tions with the bride became more and more earnest and mys- 
terious. Lowering clouds began to steal over the fair serenity 
of her brow, and tremors to run through her tender frame. 

32. All this could not escape the notice of the company. Their 
gayety was chilled by the unaccountable gloom of the bride- 
groom; their spirits were infected; whispers and glances were 
interchanged, accompanied by shrugs and dubious shakes of the 
head. The song and the laugh grew less and less frequent; 
there were dreary pauses in the conversation, which were at 
length succeeded by wild tales and supernatural legends. One 
dismal story produced another still more dismal, and the baron 



THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 95 

nearly frightened some of the ladies into hysterics with the 
history of the goblin horseman that carried away the fair 
Leonora ; a dreadful story, which has since been put into excel- 
lent verse, and is read and believed by all the world. 

33. The bridegroom listened to this tale with profound atten- 
tion. He kept his eyes steadily fixed on the baron, and, as the 
story drew to a close, began gradually to rise from his seat, 
growing taller and taller, until, in the baron's entranced eye, 
he seemed almost to tower into a giant. The moment the tale 
was finished, he heaved a deep sigh, and took a solemn farewell 
of the company. They were all amazement. The baron was 
perfectly thunderstruck. 

34. " What ! going to leave the castle at midnight ? Why, 
everything was prepared for his reception ; a chamber was ready 
for him if he wished to retire." 

35. The stranger shook his head mournfully and mysteri- 
ously ; " I must lay my head in a different chamber to-night ! " 

36. There was something in this reply, and the tone in which 
it was uttered, that made the baron's heart misgive him; but 
he rallied his forces, and repeated his hospitable entreaties. 

37. The stranger shook his head silently, but positively, at 
every offer; and, waving his farewell to the company, stalked 
slowly out of the hall. The maiden aunts were absolutely 
petrified; the bride hung her head, and a tear stole to her eye. 

38. The baron followed the stranger to the £reat court of 
the castle, where the black charger stood pawing the earth, and 
snorting with impatience. — When they had reached the portal, 
whose deep archway was dimly lighted by a cresset, the stranger 
paused, and addressed the baron in a hollow tone of voice, which 
the vaulted roof rendered still more sepulchral. 

39. " Now that we are alone," said he, " I will impart to you 
the reason of my going. I have a solemn, and indispensable 
engagement — " 

" Why," said the baron, " cannot you send some one in your 
place?" 

" It admits of no substitute — I must attend it in person — 1 
must away to Wurtzburg cathedral — " 



96 THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 

" Ay," said the baron, plucking up spirit, " but not until to- 
morrow — to-morrow you shall take your bride there." 

" No ! no ! " replied the stranger, with tenfold solemnity, " my 
engagement is with no bride — the worms ! the worms expect 
me! I am a dead man — I have been slain by robbers — my 
body lies at Wiirtzburg — at midnight I am to be buried — the 
grave is waiting for me — I must keep my appointment ! " 

40. He sprang on his black charger, dashed over the draw- 
bridge, and the clattering of his horse's hoofs was lost in the 
whistling of the night-blast. 

41. The baron returned to the hall in the utmost consterna- 
tion, and related what had passed. Two ladies fainted outright, 
others sickened at the idea of having banqueted with a spectre. 
It was the opinion of some, that this might be the wild huntsman, 
famous in German legend. Some talked of mountain sprites, 
of wood-demons, and of other supernatural beings, with which 
the good people of Germany have been so grievously harassed 
since time immemorial. One of the poor relations ventured to 
suggest that it might be some sportive evasion of the young 
cavalier, and that the very gloominess of the caprice seemed to 
accord with so melancholy a personage. This, however, drew on 
him the indignation of the whole company, and especially of the 
baron, who looked upon him as little better than an infidel; so 
that he was fain to abjure his heresy as speedily as possible, 
and come into the faith of the true believers. 

42. But whatever may have been the doubts entertained, they 
were completely put to an end by the arrival, next day, of regular 
missives, confirming the intelligence of the young count's murder, 
and his interment in Wiirtzburg cathedral. 

43. The dismay at the castle may well be imagined. The 
baron shut himself up in his chamber. The guests, who had 
come to rejoice with him, could not think of abandoning him 
in distress. They wandered about the courts, or collected in 
groups in the hall, shaking their heads and shrugging their 
shoulders, at the troubles of so good a man ; and sat longer than 
ever at table, and ate and drank more stoutly than ever, by way 
of keeping up their spirits. But the situation of the widowed 



THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 97 

bride was the most pitiable. To have lost a husband before she 
had even embraced him — and such a husband ! if the very 
spectre could be so gracious and noble, what must have been the 
living man. She filled the house with lamentations. 

44. On the night of the second day of her widowhood, she 
had retired to her chamber, accompanied by one of her aunts, 
who insisted on sleeping with her. The aunt, who was one of 
the best tellers of ghost-stories in all Germany, had just been 
recounting one of her longest, and had fallen asleep in the very 
midst of it. The chamber was remote, and overlooked a small 
garden. The niece lay pensively gazing at the beams of the 
rising moon, as they trembled on the leaves of an aspen-tree 
before the lattice. The castle-clock had just tolled midnight, 
when a soft strain of music stole up from the garden. She rose 
hastily from her bed, and stepped lightly to the window. A 
tall figure stood among the shadows of the trees. As it raised 
its head, a beam of moonlight fell upon the countenance. Heaven 
and earth ! she beheld the Spectre Bridegroom ! A loud shriek 
at that moment burst upon her ear, and her aunt, who had been 
awakened by the music, and had followed her silently to the 
window, fell into her arms. When she looked again, the spectre 
had disappeared. 

45. Of the two females, the aunt now required the most sooth- 
ing, for she was perfectly beside herself with terror. As to the 
young lady, there was something, even in the spectre of her 
lover, that seemed endearing. There was still the semblance of 
manly beauty; and though the shadow of a man is but little 
calculated to satisfy the affections of a love-sick girl, yet, where 
the substance is not to be had, even that is consoling. The aunt 
declared she would never sleep in that chamber again ; the niece, 
for once, was refractory, and declared as strongly that she would 
sleep in no other in the castle : the consequence was, that she had 
to sleep in it alone; but she drew a promise from her aunt not 
to relate the story of the spectre, lest she should be denied the 
only melancholy pleasure left her on earth — that of inhabiting 
the chamber over which the guardian shade of her lover kept its 
nightly vigils. 



98 THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 

46. How long the good old lady would have observed this 
promise is uncertain, for she dearly loved to talk of the mar- 
vellous, and there is a triumph in being the first to tell a frightful 
story; it is, however, still quoted in the neighborhood, as a 
memorable instance of female secrecy, that she kept it to herself 
for a whole week; when she was suddenly absolved from all 
further restraint, by intelligence brought to the breakfast-table 
one morning that the young lady was not to be found. Her room 
was empty — the bed had not been slept in — -the window was 
open, and the bird had flown ! 

47. The astonishment and concern with which the intelligence 
was received can only be imagined by those who have witnessed 
the agitation which the mishaps of a great man cause among 
his friends. Even the poor relations paused for a moment from 
the indefatigable labors of the trencher ; when the aunt, who had 
at first been struck speechless, wrung her hands, and shrieked 
out, " The goblin ! the goblin ! she's carried away by the goblin ! " 

48. In a few words she related the fearful scene of the garden, 
and concluded that the spectre must have carried off his bride. 
Two of the domestics corroborated the opinion, for they had 
heard the clattering of a horse's hoofs down the mountain about 
midnight, and had no doubt that it was the spectre on his black 
charger, bearing her away to the tomb. All present were struck 
with the direful probability ; for events of the kind are extremely 
common in Germany, as many well-authenticated histories bear 
witness. 

49. What a lamentable situation was that of the poor baron ! 
What a heart-rending dilemma for a fond father, and a member 
of the great family of Katzenellenbogen ! His only daughter had 
either been rapt away to the grave, or he was to have some wood- 
demon for a son-in-law, and, perchance, a troop of goblin grand- 
children. As usual, he was completely bewildered, and all the 
castle in an uproar. The men were ordered to take horse, and 
scour every road and path and glen of the Odenwald. The 
baron himself had just drawn on his jack-boots, girded on his 
sword and was about to mount his steed to sally forth on the 



THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 99 

doubtful quest, when he was brought to a pause by a new appari- 
tion. A lady was seen approaching the castle, mounted on a 
palfrey, attended by a cavalier on horseback. She galloped up 
to the gate, sprang from her horse, and falling at the baron's 
feet, embraced his knees. It was his lost daughter, and her 
companion — the Spectre Bridegroom! The baron was as- 
tounded. He looked at his daughter, then at the spectre, and 
almost doubted the evidence of his senses. The latter, too, was 
wonderfully improved in his appearance since his visit to the 
world of spirits. His dress was splendid, and set off a noble 
figure of manly symmetry. He was no longer pale and mel- 
ancholy. His fine countenance was flushed with the glow of 
youth, and joy rioted in his large dark eye. 

50. The mystery was soon cleared up. The cavalier (for, 
in truth, as you must have known all the while, he was no goblin) 
announced himself as Sir Herman Von Starkenfaust. He related 
his adventure with the young count. He told how he had has- 
tened to the castle to deliver the unwelcome tidings, but that the 
eloquence of the baron had interrupted him in every attempt to 
tell his tale. How the sight of the bride had completely cap- 
tivated him, and that to pass a few hours near her, he had tacitly 
suffered the mistake to continue. How he had been sorely per- 
plexed in what way to make a decent retreat, until the baron's 
goblin stories had suggested his eccentric exit. How, fearing 
the feudal hostility of the family, he had repeated his visits by 
stealth — had haunted the garden beneath the young lady's win- 
dow — had wooed — had won — had borne away in triumph — 
and, in a word, had wedded the fair. 

51. Under any other circumstances the baron would have been 
inflexible, for he was tenacious of paternal authority, and de- 
voutly obstinate in all family feuds; but he loved his daughter; 
he had lamented her as lost; he rejoiced to find her still alive; 
and, though her husband was of a hostile house, yet, thank 
Heaven, he was not a goblin. There was something, it must be 
acknowledged, that did not exactly accord with his notions of 
strict veracity in the joke the knight had passed upon him of 



ioo THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 

his being a dead man; but several old friends present, who had 
served in the wars, assured him that every stratagem was ex- 
cusable in love, and that the cavalier was entitled to especial 
privilege, having lately served as a trooper. 

52. Matters, therefore, were happily arranged. The baron 
pardoned the young couple on the spot. The revels at the castle 
were resumed. The poor relations overwhelmed this new mem- 
ber of the family with loving-kindness; he was so gallant, so 
generous — and so rich. The aunts, it is true, were somewhat 
scandalized that their system of strict seclusion and passive 
obedience should be so badly exemplified, but attributed it all to 
their negligence in not having the windows grated. One of them 
was particularly mortified at having her marvellous story marred, 
and that the only spectre she had ever seen should turn out a 
counterfeit; but the niece seemed perfectly happy at having 
found him substantial flesh and blood — and so the story ends. 

THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM 
Class Discussion 

Does the language with which the story begins resemble 
that of the opening paragraphs of " Rip Van Winkle " and 
" The Legend of Sleepy Hollow " ? Compare the scenes in 
the opening paragraphs of each story. 

What touches of humor do you notice in the description of 
the young lady in paragraphs 2 and 3? Does the method 
of arranging marriage in paragraph 8 strike you as unusual ? 
Do you suppose the plan was ever in general use ? 

Notice how Irving goes back and picks up the story of 
Count Von Altenburg at paragraph 14. He does not mix 
the two incidents that are happening in two places at the 
same time. Notice also how he comes back to the story of 
the bride at paragraph 22. 

At what point do you learn that the wedding guest was not 
a spectre? 



THE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM IOI 

Point out several instances in which the author makes fun 
of the baron and the maiden aunts. 

With respect to interest, do you think this story is as 
good as " Rip Van Winkle "? 



VII 

ADJECTIVES 

Classes. An adjective is a word which is used to modify 
a noun. Adjectives are divided into two classes — Descrip- 
tive and Limiting. 

Descriptive Adjectives. A descriptive adjective de- 
scribes the quality of the word which it modifies ; it answers 
the question " of what kind? " or " in what condition? " 
the tall tree 
the old man 
Descriptive adjectives may be divided into two classes, Com- 
mon and Proper, corresponding to the similar classes of 
nouns. 

Common : The girl wore a red dress. 
Proper : He speaks with a French accent. 
There are three relations of the adjective to the word to 
which it belongs : 

i. The adherent, which denotes a close connection between 
the two words. 

The happy boy went home. 

2. The appositive relation. 

The boy, happy and care-free, went home. 

3. The predicate relation. 

The boy was happy. 

The cat licked the saucer clean. 
In the last sentence, clean completes the meaning of the 
verb licked and its object saucer. The sentence is equiva- 
lent to " The cat licked the saucer until it became clean." 

102 



ADJECTIVES 103 

Frequently the noun is omitted and the adjective stands 
alone. It may then be regarded as a substantive. 
Ye have the poor (people) always with you. 

Limiting Adjectives. A limiting adjective merely points 
out the object ; it answers the question, " who, which, what ? " 
There are three classes of limiting adjectives. 

1. Pronominal adjectives. These have been discussed on 
page 80. 

2. Numerals. These are divided into two classes. 

(a) Cardinals, which denote how many. 

one four hundred 

(b) Ordinals, which denote in what order. 

first fourth hundredth 

3. Articles. There are two classes of articles. 

(a) Definite article, 
the 

(b) Indefinite articles. 

a an 

An is used before words beginning with a vowel sound. 

an apple an herb an honest man 

A is used before words beginning with a consonant sound, 
a boy a union a hill 

In a series of words the article or possessive adjective 
should precede each word that it modifies, unless the series 
refers to a single person or object. The secretary and 
treasurer means that one person holds both positions ; the 
secretary and the treasurer indicates that there are two per- 
sons. A black and white kitten refers to one animal; a 
black and a white kitten refers to two. 

Comparison. There are three degrees of comparison. 
1. Positive, which is the simple form of the adjective, 
old high 



104 ADJECTIVES 

2. Comparative, which is formed by adding -er to the 
positive degree. 

older higher 

3. Superlative, which is formed by adding -est to the 
positive degree. 

oldest highest 

Other Methods of Comparison. 1. By prefixing the ad- 
verbs more and most. This method is used most frequently 
with the longer adjectives. 

more interesting most interesting. 

2. By prefixing the adverbs less and least. These give 
degrees of comparison which are below the positive. 

less rough least rough 

3. Some adjectives are compared irregularly. 

good 
bad 
many 
little 

Errors in Comparison. The use of double comparatives 
and superlatives such as " more nearer " or " the most un- 
kindest cut of all " is no longer permissible. When only 
two objects or classes of objects are compared, the com- 
parative degree should be used. 

Wrong: Which of the two teams is the best? 
Right: Which of the two teams is the better? 
Unless the standard of comparison can easily be supplied, 
it should always be included in the sentence. 

Wrong : He saw the wider opportunities for service in 

the ministry. 
Right : He saw that the ministry offered wider oppor- 
tunities for service than any other profession. 
When a thing is compared with other members of its own 
class by means of a than clause, it should be excluded from 
that class by the use of other or some equivalent word. 



better 


best 


worse 


worst 


more 


most 


less 


least 



ADJECTIVES 105 

Wrong: Solomon was wiser than any Hebrew king. 
Right: Solomon was wiser than any other Hebrew 
king. 
Many and few refer to number; much and less to quan- 
tity. 
Many people contributed much money to help the suffer- 
ers. 
Little refers to quantity as well as size; small refers to 
size only. 

There was very little food in the small basket. 
All refers to number; whole refers to quantity. 

All the citizens gave their whole time to this task. 
Predicate Adjectives. Unlike most verbs, the verb to be 
does not assert action, but rather asserts being or identity. 
That which completes the assertion may be a noun, as " The 
child is my son; " or a pronoun, as " It is /; " or an adjective, 
as " The water is cold; " or a phrase which has the force of 
an adjective, as " She is at home/' 

Noun and pronouns so used are always in the nominative 
case and are called predicate nominatives; adjectives so 
used are called predicative adjectives. 

Other verbs than the verb to be have this same function 
of asserting being and are, therefore, used in a similar man- 
ner. Such are, for example, seem, appear, become, grow, 
taste, feel, turn, look, sound, etc. 

The apple tastes sour. 
He became sick. 
I feel bad. 
Adjectives or Adverbs. It is sometimes difficult to dis- 
tinguish between adjectives and adverbs. If the student 
will remember that an adjective always modifies a noun or 
pronoun, and that an adverb always modifies a verb, ad- 
jective, or adverb, he will have no difficulty in telling to 
which class a given word belongs. 



106 ADJECTIVES 

'Right: I feel bad. 
Right: I feel badly. 
The word bad has reference to / and is an adjective, the 
sentence being equivalent to " I am not in good health." 
The word badly refers to the verb feel and is therefore an 
adverb, the sentence being equivalent to " My sense of touch 
is poor." 

He held the ladder steady (i. e., he held the ladder 

in such a way that it was 
steady). 
He held the ladder steadily (i. e., he continued to 

hold the ladder). 
Only may be either an adjective or an adverb, according 
to the word to which it refers. It should precede the word 
which it modifies. 

He was the only person present. Adjective. 
I only lent him the book. Adverb. 
Parsing. In parsing an adjective tell its: 
i. Class — descriptive or limiting, and the classes into 
which these are divided. 

2. Degree. 

3. Relation to the word which it modifies. 
Thus, — 

The small oranges taste sweeter than the large. 
Small is a common descriptive adjective in the positive de- 
gree, modifying oranges in the adherent relation. Sweeter 
is a common descriptive predicate adjective in the compara- 
tive degree. It modifies oranges and completes the mean- 
ing of taste. Large is a common descriptive adjective in 
the positive degree ; it bears an adherent relation to the word 
oranges which has been omitted. The is a definite article 
modifying oranges. 

Exercises, (a) Parse the adjectives in the following 
sentences : 



ADJECTIVES 107 

1. The Tenth Brigade in bright, flashing uniforms 
marched by. 

2. None but the brave deserve the fair. — Dryden. 

3. This is not the hat which that man took. 

4. The bravest men are often the most modest. 

5. All men, good and bad, are my brothers. 

6. Few, few shall part where many meet. — Campbell. 

7. His dying words were, " Don't give up the ship." 

8. Keep the water cool in these earthen vessels. 

9. She was gay, generous, and a trifle too impulsive. 

10. The culprit stood silent and ashamed during the mas- 
ter's speech. 

11. Will they speak of me in after ages when I am dead? 

12. The wheat fields waved their banners of gold in the 
fresh wind. 

13. You are the only man that I have seen to-day. 

14. How sweet the music sounds upon the midnight air ! 

15. Although the tale was interesting, John, being tired, 
grew sleepy. 

16. Wash your face and hands clean before you come to 
the table. 

17. Take money enough and have it ready when the con- 
ductor calls for it. 

18. These men met several other men who were stronger 
than they. 

19. The first boats to reach the harbor were those with the 
largest sails and the most modern equipment. 

20. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of 
the wicked. — Psalms. 

(b) Find five examples of the predicate adjective in 
" The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." 

(c) Parse all the adjectives in the following selections: 

1. "Legend of Sleepy Hollow," paragraph 21. 

2. " Rip Van Winkle," paragraphs 2 and 3. 



108 ADJECTIVES 

(d) Explain the mistakes in the use of the adjectives in 
the following sentences. Two of the sentences are correct. 

1. I feel worser to-day than I did yesterday. 

2. Much people were gathered together upon the hillside. 

3. His rusty firelock only lay on the ground beside him. 

4. Seated near her were her father, mother, and aunt. 

5. The diamond is more costly than any precious stone. 

6. These oranges taste sweetly. 

7. When they opened the door, they saw a boy and girl 
studying. 

8. No visit could have been delightf uller. 

9. Nearly all the officers were killed in the battle; only 
the captain, lieutenant, and sergeant survived. 

10. The second dancer was gracefuller than the first. 

11. Which is the strongest, he or you? 

12. The catcher and pitcher are the best players on the 
team. 

13. The tramp ate an whole chicken for his dinner. 

14. Which of the sisters is the oldest? 

15. How do you feel? Quite comfortably, thank you. 

16. The farmer offered me a onion and beet. 

17. I have the wretchedest cold that I have ever had. 

18. He is the worst man of the two. 

19. It makes me feel badly to slight a beggar. 

20. Meat is wholesomer when broiled than when fried. 

21. There were less students at this game than at any 
previous game. 

22. The young and the old, the rich and the poor, all 
crowded to hear him. 

23. A soft answer turneth away wrath, but a grievous 
word stirreth up anger. — Proverbs. 

24. The vestry will not meet to-night as the secretary and 
treasurer are absent. 



ADJECTIVES 109 

25. When he threw open the shutter he only saw darkness 
and nothing more. 

26. The English have lost less men than the French. 

2J. Arctic explorers have now discovered the north and 
south pole. 

28. Which of the two brothers was the most active? 

29. Your president and general manager have resigned. 

30. Frances E. Willard has done more for the cause of 
temperance than any American woman. 



VIII 
CHRISTMAS 

i. Nothing in England exercises a more delightful spell over 
my imagination than the lingerings of the holiday customs and 
rural games of former times. They recall the pictures my fancy 
used to draw in the May morning of life, when as yet I only 
knew the world through books, and believed it to be all that 
poets had painted it; and they bring with them the flavor of 
those honest days of yore, in which, perhaps, with equal fallacy, 
I am apt to think the world was more homebred, social, and joy- 
ous than at present. I regret to say that they are daily growing 
more and more faint, being gradually worn away by time, but 
still more obliterated by modern fashion. They resemble those 
picturesque morsels of Gothic * architecture, which we see 
crumbling in various parts of the country, partly dilapidated by 
the waste of ages, and partly lost in the additions and alterations 
of later days. Poetry, however, clings with cherishing fondness 
about the rural game and holiday revel, from which it has de- 
rived so many of its themes — as the ivy winds its rich foliage 
about *the Gothic arch and mouldering tower, gratefully repaying 
their support by clasping together their tottering remains, and, 
as it were, embalming them in verdure. 

2. Of all the old festivals, however, that of Christmas awakens 
the strongest and most heartfelt associations. There is a tone 
of solemn and sacred feeling that blends with our conviviality, 
and lifts the spirit to a state of hallowed and elevated enjoyment. 

1 Gothic. The Goths overran the Roman Empire early in the 
Christian Era and secured control of a large part of Europe. They 
mingled with the former inhabitants and, as a people, finally became 
absorbed, but they have left their marks upon the land they occupied 
by bequeathing to it a peculiar style of architecture. 

1 10 



CHRISTMAS III 

The services of the church about this season are extremely tender 
and inspiring. They dwell on the beautiful story of the origin 
of our faith, and the pastoral scenes that accompanied its an- 
nouncement. They gradually increase in fervor and pathos dur- 
ing the season of Advent, until they break forth in full jubilee 
on the morning that brought peace and good-will to men. I 
do not know a grander effect of music on the moral feelings than 
to hear the full choir and the pealing organ performing a 
Christmas anthem in a cathedral, and filling every part of the 
vast pile with triumphant harmony. 

3. It is a beautiful arrangement, also, derived from days of 
yore, that this festival, which commemorates the announcement 
of- the religion of peace and love, has been made the season for 
gathering together of family connections, and drawing closer 
again those bands of kindred hearts, which the cares and pleas- 
ures and sorrows of the world are continually operating to cast 
loose ; of calling back the children of a family, who have launched 
forth in life, and wandered widely asunder, once more to as- 
semble about the paternal hearth, that rallying-place of the affec- 
tions, there to grow young and loving again among the endearing 
mementos of childhood. 

4. There is something in the very season of the year that 
gives a charm to the festivity of Christmas. At other times we 
derive a great portion of our pleasures from the mere beauties of 
nature. Our feelings sally forth and dissipate themselves over 
the sunny landscape, and we " live abroad and everywhere.'' 
The song of the bird, the murmur of the stream, the breathing 
fragrance of spring, the soft voluptuousness of summer, the 
golden pomp of autumn; earth with its mantle of refreshing 
green, and heaven with its deep delicious blue and its cloudy 
magnificence, all fill us with mute but exquisite delight, and we 
revel in the luxury of mere sensation. But in the depth of 
winter, when nature lies despoiled of every charm, and wrapped 
in her shroud of sheeted snow, we turn for our gratifications to 
moral sources. The dreariness and desolation of the landscape, 
the short gloomy days and darksome nights, while they cir- 
cumscribe our wanderings, shut in our feelings . also from ram- 



H2 CHRISTMAS 

bling abroad, and make us more keenly disposed for the pleasure 
of the social circle. Our thoughts are more concentrated; our 
friendly sympathies more aroused. We feel more sensibly the 
charm of each other's society, and are brought more closely to- 
gether by dependence on each other for enjoyment. Heart 
calleth unto heart ; and we draw our pleasures from the deep wells 
of loving-kindness, which lie in the quiet recesses of our bosoms ; 
and which, when resorted to, furnish forth the pure element of 
domestic felicity. 

5. The pitchy gloom without makes the heart dilate on enter- 
ing the room filled with the glow and warmth of the evening 
fire. The ruddy blaze diffuses an artificial summer and sunshine 
through the room, and lights up each countenance in a kindlier 
welcome. Where does the honest face of hospitality expand into 
a broader and more cordial smile — where is the shy glance of 
love more sweetly eloquent — than by the winter fireside? and 
as the hollow blast of wintry wind rushes through the hall, claps 
the distant door, whistles about the casement, and rumbles down 
the chimney, what can be more grateful than that feeling of 
sober and sheltered security, with which we look round upon the 
comfortable chamber and the scene of domestic hilarity? 

6. The English, from the great prevalence of rural habit 
throughout every class of society have always been fond of 
those festivals and holidays which agreeably interrupt the still- 
ness of country life ; and they were, in former days, particularly 
observant of the religious and social rights of Christmas. It is 
inspiring to read even the dry details which some antiquaries 
have given of the quaint humors, the burlesque pageants, the 
complete abandonment to mirth and good fellowship, with which 
this festival was celebrated. It seemed to throw open every door, 
and unlock every heart. It brought the peasant and the peer 
together, and blended all ranks in one warm generous flow of 
joy and kindness. The old halls of castles and manor-houses 
resounded with the harp and the Christmas carol, and their 
ample boards groaned under the weight of hospitality. Even 
the poorest cottage welcomed the festive season with green 
decorations of bay and holly,— the cheerful fire glanced its rays 






CHRISTMAS 113 

through the lattice, inviting the passengers to raise the latch, 
and join the gossip knot huddled round the hearth, beguiling the 
long evening with legendary jokes and oft-told Christmas tales. 

7. One of the least pleasing effects of modern refinement is 
the havoc it has made among the hearty old holiday customs. 
It has completely taken off the sharp touchings and spirited 
reliefs of these embellishments of life, and has worn down society 
into a more smooth and polished, but certainly a less charac- 
teristic surface. Many of the games and ceremonials of 
Christmas have entirely disappeared, and, like the sherris sack 2 
of old Falstaff, are become matters of speculation and dispute 
among commentators. They flourished in times full of spirit 
and lustihood, when men enjoyed life roughly, but heartily and 
vigorously; times wild and picturesque, which have furnished 
poetry with its richest materials, and the drama with its most 
attractive variety of characters and manners. The world has 
become more worldly. There is more of dissipation, and less of 
enjoyment. Pleasure has expanded into a broader, but a shal- 
lower stream, and has forsaken many of those deep and quiet 
channels where it flowed sweetly through the calm bosom of 
domestic life. Society has acquired a more enlightened and 
elegant tone ; but it has lost many of its strong local peculiarities, 
its homebred feelings, its honest fireside delights. The tradi- 
tionary customs of golden-hearted antiquity, its feudal hospitali- 
ties, and lordly wassailings, have passed away with the baronial 
castles and stately manor-houses in which they were celebrated. 
They comported with the shadowy hall, the great oaken gallery, 
and the tapestried parlor, but are unfitted to the light showy 
saloons and gay drawing-rooms of the modern villa. 

8. Shorn, however, as it is, of its ancient and festive honors, 
Christmas is still a period of delightful excitement in England. 
It is gratifying to see that home-feeling completely aroused 
which holds so powerful a place in every English bosom. The 
preparations making on every side for the social board that is 
again to unite friends and kindred; the presents of good cheer 
passing and repassing, those tokens of regard, and quickeners 

2 Sherris sack: An old name for Spanish wine, sherry. 



H4 CHRISTMAS 

of kind feelings; the evergreens distributed about houses, and 
churches, emblems of peace and gladness ; all these have the most 
pleasing effect in producing fond associations, and kindling be- 
nevolent sympathies. Even the sound of the Waits, 3 rude as 
may be their minstrelsy, breaks upon the mid-watches of a 
winter night with the effect of perfect harmony. As I have 
been awakened by them in that still and solemn hour, " when deep 
sleep falleth upon man," I have listened with a hushed delight, 
and, connecting them with the sacred and joyous occasion, have 
almost fancied them into another celestial choir, announcing 
peace and good-will to mankind. 

9. How delightfully the imagination, when wrought upon by 
these moral influences, turns everything to melody and beauty ! 
The very crowing of the cock, heard sometimes in the profound 
repose of the country, " telling the night-watches to his feathery 
dames," was thought by the common people to announce the 
approach of this sacred festival. 

" Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes 
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated, 
This bird of dawning singeth all night long ; 
And then, they say, no spirit dares stir abroad; 
The nights are wholesome — then no planets strike, 
No fairy takes, no witch hath power to charm 
So hallow'd and so gracious is the time." 4 

Amidst the general call to happiness, the bustle of the spirits, 
and stir of the affections, which prevail at this period, what 
bosom can remain insensible? It is, indeed, the season of re- 
generated feeling — the season for kindling, not merely the fire 
of hospitality in the hall, but the genial flame of charity in the 
heart. 

10. The scene of early love again rises green to memory beyond 
the sterile waste of years; and the idea of home, fraught with 
the fragrance of home-dwelling joys, reanimates the drooping 

3 Waits: In England, musicians who play at night, especially at 
Christmas time. 

4 Some say: Shakespeare's " Hamlet," Act I. See paragraph 22 of 
"Christmas Eve." 



CHRISTMAS US 

spirit as the Arabian breeze will sometimes waft the freshness 
of the distant fields to the weary pilgrim of the desert. 

11. Stranger and sojourner as I am in the land — though 
for me no social hearth may blaze, no hospitable roof throw 
open its doors, nor the warm grasp of friendship welcome me 
at the threshold — yet I feel the influence of the season beam- 
ing into my soul from the happy looks of those around me. 
Surely, happiness is reflective, like the light of heaven; and 
every countenance, bright with smiles, and glowing with in- 
nocent enjoyment, is a mirror transmitting to others the rays 
of a supreme and ever-shining benevolence. He who can turn 
churlishly away from contemplating the felicity of his fellow- 
beings, and can sit down darkling and repining in his loneliness 
when all around is joyful, may have his moments of strong ex- 
citement and selfish gratification, but he wants the genial and 
social sympathies which constitute the charm of a merry Christ- 
mas. 

CHRISTMAS 
Class Discussion 

In the prime of his life Irving spent several years in 
England. During this time he made his living chiefly by 
writing such essays and stories as this series on Christmas. 
He was particularly interested in the old-time customs and 
practices that had continued until his day. The first sen- 
tence of the last paragraph of this essay shows us how 
warmly he had entered into the spirit of the Christmas 
celebration. 

What interest has the Church in the celebration of Christ- 
mas? Why is it fitting for families to have reunions at 
this season? According to Irving, could the celebration of 
this festival take place as happily in the summer as in the 
winter? What is the effect of the desolateness of the coun- 
try upon the spirit of the occasion? Does the glowing fire 
add to the cheer? 



Il6 CHRISTMAS 

Was Christmas observed by only the rich, or did the 
poor also take part in the celebration? According to this 
account, is Christmas now the same joyous occasion that it 
was long years ago? In what respects is it still a " period 
of delightful excitement " ? 

Is Christmas, as we observe it, very much different from 
what it is here pictured to be? What Christmas customs 
can you mention that are observed in your community ? Do 
the people you know observe it in the same way year after 
year? Do they have the same sort of dinner? Do they 
give gifts? Do they talk of the visit of Santa Claus? Do 
the customs just named seem to be dying out? 

Write a letter to a friend telling how you expect to spend 
your Christmas holidays. 



IX 

VERBS 

Definition. A verb is a word that asserts something 
about the subject. According to their uses, verbs are 
divided into Transitive and Intransitive Verbs. 

Transitive Verbs. A transitive verb is a verb denoting 
action which is received by some object named in the sen- 
tence. 

He moved the box. 

The child caught the bird. 
The words box and bird name the objects that receive the 
action of the verbs moved and caught. When the verb is in 
the passive voice, the object of the verb becomes the subject 
of the sentence, but it still names the recipient of the action 
of the verb. 

The box was moved by him. 

The bird was caught by the child. 
See page 122. 

Intransitive Verbs. An intransitive verb is a verb that 
does not denote action, or one that does denote action but 
the receiver of such action is not named in the sentence. 

Man is mortal. 

The baby cries. 
Intransitive verbs are divided into two classes — Com- 
plete and Linking. A complete verb is an intransitive verb 
which may be used alone. A linking verb is an intransitive 
verb which is not used alone, but is used to join the subject 
with the remainder of the predicate. Such verbs usually 
have the force of the verb to be. 

117 



Il8 VERBS 

Complete : The baby crawls. 

The fire burns. 
Linking: The boy is happy. 

The boy appears happy. 
The boy becomes happy. 
Honesty is the best policy. 
The student should remember that whether a verb is 
transitive or intransitive depends upon the way in which it 
is used in the sentence. Many verbs may be used in both 
a transitive and a complete sense. 

Transitive: The fire burns the paper. 
Complete: The fire burns. 
Transitive : He moved the box. 
Complete : He moved rapidly. 
Other verbs may be used either as complete or as linking 
verbs. 

Complete : He looked. 
Linking : He looked penitent. 
And some verbs may be used in all three senses. 
Transitive: The farmer grows tobacco. 
Complete: The baby grozvs rapidly. 
Linking: The plot grows interesting. 
In parsing, always class the verb according to its use in the 
sentence. 

Lie — Lay : Sit — Set. The verbs lie and lay, and sit 
and set are often confused on account of their similarity of 
form. The principal parts of each are as follows : 

Intransitive: lie lay lain 

Transitive : lay laid laid 

Intransitive: sit sat sat 

Transitive : set set set 

Remember that laid and set always require an object and 
that lay may or may not take one. 

Exercises, (a) Insert the proper forms of lie and lay 



VERBS 119 

in the following sentences, giving the reason for your choice 
in each case. 

1. Rip his gun on the grass and then down for 

a nap. 

2. He had not there for many minutes before the 

Dutchman appeared. 

3. Now I down to sleep. 

4. He wrapped the drapery of his couch about him 
and down to pleasant dreams. 

5. There let him . 

6. My comrades me gently on the bed and let 

me there quietly for an hour. 

7. Never will I down my arms till my enemies 

have me in the grave. 

8. He has been down all afternoon. 

9. He his hand upon the bed on which I was . 

10. I have never upon so hard a couch. 

(b) Insert the proper forms of sit and set in the follow- 
ing sentences, giving the reason for your choice in each case. 

1. We the pitcher on the stool. 

2. The Bracebridge family all at one table. 

3. Ichabod uneasily in the saddle. 

4. the alarm clock near the bed. 

5. Our visitors had for more than an hour before 

we realized that the train was due. 

6. My friend was in the dark when I came into the 

room. 

7. I have always near the platform. 

& — — your load down and down yourself. 

9. " close together/' commanded the driver. 

10. The three of us were on one seat. 

(c) Select all the verbs in the following passages and 
classify them as transitive, complete, or linking. Tell the 
subject of each verb. If the verb is transitive, tell its ob- 



120 VERBS 

ject. Whenever possible, show how the transitive verb can 
be used in an intransitive sense and the intransitive verbs 
in a transitive sense. 

i. "Rip Van Winkle," paragraphs 23-24. 

2. " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," paragraphs 59-60. 

3. " The Spectre Bridegroom," paragraphs 26 and 33.* 
Mood. The manner in which the verb asserts something 

of the subject is called the mood. There are three moods — 
the Indicative, the Subjunctive, and the Imperative. 

Indicative. The indicative mood is used in the statement 
of a fact. This is the mood used in nearly all sentences. 

I saw him yesterday. 

Your father has sent for you. 
Subjunctive Mood. The subjunctive mood is used to 
express a wish or an uncertainty, or to imply a statement 
contrary to fact. 1 Save in the verb to be, there is no differ- 
ence in the form of the indicative and subjunctive moods 
except in the third person singular of the present tense; 
here the subjunctive mood drops the ending -s of the indica- 
tive. For a full conjugation of verbs see page 146. 

Indicative : If he goes, he will succeed. 

Subjunctive : If he go, he will succeed. 
The following sentences will illustrate the uses of the 
subjunctive: 

Oh that he were here ! 

If the verb have an object, parse it. 

If wishes were horses, beggars might ride. 
The distinction between the indicative and the subjunctive 
shows a tendency to disappear in modern English. Though 



* Note to Teacher : If further exercises are desired, the teacher 
may assign other paragraphs to be used in the same manner. 

1 No distinction has here been made between " volition " and 
" wish." Strictly speaking, the idea of " volition " is stronger than 
that of "wish" and suggests the determination to bring about the 
act mentioned, but for our purpose the two may be regarded as one. 



VERBS 121 

in many cases either mood may be used, there is still a sub- 
tle but none the less real difference of meaning between 
them. Compare " Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall 
be as white as snow/' with " Though your sins are as scarlet, 
they shall be as white as snow." The first sentence makes 
no definite statement concerning the state of your sins — they 
may or may not be as scarlet ; but the second sentence states 
as a fact that they are as scarlet. 

Imperative Mood. The imperative mood is used to ex- 
press command or entreaty. Its subject is always in the sec- 
ond person and is usually omitted. 
Come here. 

Stand (you) not upon the order of your going, 
but go (you) at once. 

Exercise. Classify the verbs in the following sentences 
according to their moods and tell why each mood is used. 
Before working the exercise, examine the conjugation of the 
verb to be on page 146. 

1. If he were not so lazy, he would make a name for him- 
self. 

2. Lift up your eyes and look upon the fields. — Bible. 

3. If it be so, Laertes, will you be ruled by me? — Shake- 
speare. 

4. What man dare, I dare. — Shakespeare. 

5. Thy faith hath made thee whole ; go in peace. — Bible. 

6. And I, if I be lifted up, shall draw all men unto me. — 
Bible. 

7. If thine enemy hunger, feed him. — Bible. 

8. God grant that we may live to meet again. 

9. At the lower end of the room was a clear coal fire, be- 
fore which a breast of lamb was roasting. — Irving. 

10. As I crossed the bridge over the Avon on my return, I 
paused to contemplate the distant church in which the poet 
lies buried. — Irving. 



122 VERBS 

Voice. Verbs are said to be in the Active or in the Passive 
Voice according as their subjects are represented as acting 
or as being acted upon. 

Active : He threw the ball. 

Passive : The ball was thrown by him. 

Passive : The ball was thrown. 
We thus see that when an active verb is changed into a pas- 
sive verb, the object of the active verb becomes the subject 
of the passive verb. Since only transitive verbs have objects, 
it is evident that only these can have the passive voice. 
Not only the direct but also the indirect object of a transitive 
verb may be made the subject of that verb when it is used in 
the passive voice. 

They gave him the book. 

The book was given to him by them. 

He was given the book by them. 
The passive voice is formed by combining the past parti- 
ciple of the verb with the proper form of the verb to be. 

Active : I love. 

Passive : I am loved. 

Active : I loved. 

Passive : I was loved. 
For a complete conjugation of the passive voice of to love, 
see page 149. 

Exercise. Indicate the voice of all the verbs in para- 
graphs 29 and 30 of " The Spectre Bridegroom." Change 
the active forms to passive forms, and the passive to active, 
whenever possible. 

Tense. Tense is the variation in the form of the verb to 
indicate the time at which the action is represented as taking 
place. 

Primary Tense. There are three primary tenses — Pres- 
ent, Past, and Future. 



VERBS 123 

The present tense represents an action as now going on. 

I give you the book. 
The past tense represents an action as having taken place 
in the past. 

I gave you the book last night. 
The future tense represents an action as taking place in 
the future. 

I shall give you the book to-morrow. 
The future tense is formed by combining the infinitive with 
shall for the first person, and with will for the second and 
third person. 

Future action may also be expressed by the present tense. 
Melba sings here to-morrow. 
When do you go? I go to-night. 
Secondary Tenses. There are also three secondary 
tenses — Present Perfect, Past Perfect, and Future Perfect. 
These represent the action as completed or perfected, and are 
formed by combining the past participle of the verb with the 
proper form of the verb to have. The present perfect tense 
represents an action as completed at the present time. 
I have given him the book. 
The past perfect tense represents an action as completed 
before a certain past time. 

I had given him the book before you came. 
The future perfect tense denotes that an action will be 
completed before a certain future time. 

I shall have given him the book before you return. 
Progressive Forms. The various forms of the verb to be 
may be combined with the present participle of a verb to in- 
dicate that the action of the verb is in progress at the time 
referred to by the tense of the verb. These forms of the 
verb are therefore called progressive. 
Present : I am loving. 
Past : I was loving. 



124 VERBS 

Future : I shall be loving. 
Emphatic Forms. An emphatic form is made by com- 
bining the present and past forms of to do with the infinitive. 
These forms are limited to the present and past tenses. 
Present : I do give him the book. 
Past : I did give him the book. 

The verb to do is also used in asking questions and in mak- 
ing negative statements. 

Do you see the ship ? 
I do not see the ship. 
Did you see the ship ? 
I did not see the ship. 
For a complete conjugation of verbs see page 146. 
Exercise. Using the subject He, write all possible tenses 
of the following verbs : 

teach go write speak kill 

walk work play study live 

Person and Number. A verb should agree with its sub- 
ject in person and number. With the exception of the verb 
to be and those cases in which thou is used as the subject 
of the verb, there is only one inflection to indicate number 
and person — the ending -s of the third person present in- 
dicative singular. 

He walks. She rides. It comes. 

A collective noun is followed by a singular or a plural 
verb according as the noun is singular or plural in meaning. 
Most collective nouns are singular. 
The team leaves to-night. 
The jury has rendered its verdict. 
The committee has made its report. 
The committee have disagreed among themselves. 
A compound subject composed of two or more singular 
nouns should have a plural verb. When the two subjects 



VERBS 125 

refer to the same person or thing, the verb is put in the 
singular. 

The man and the woman have come. 
The noted orator and statesman has arrived. 
When the subject is compounded with neither . . . nor or 
with either . . . or the verb is singular if both subjects are 
singular. If one subject is plural it is placed last, and the 
verb is then put in the plural number. 
Neither he nor she is present. 
Neither he nor his children are present. 
Two or more subjects preceded by each, every, and simi- 
lar words take a singular verb. 

Every man, woman, and child was there. 
Phrases which modify the subject do not affect its num- 
ber. 

Wrong: The girl, together with her uncle and her 

aunt, were seen descending the stairs. 
Right: The girl, together with her uncle and her 
aunt, was seen descending the stairs. 
Uncle and aunt are not a part of the subject but are the 
object of the preposition together with. 

Care should be taken lest the verb be made to agree with 
a noun which is near it but which is not its subject. 

Wrong: The folly of his actions were apparent to all. 
Right : The folly of his actions was apparent to all. 
The verb should agree with its subject, not with its 
predicate noun. 

Wrong: The largest factor in his success were the 

men whom he had befriended. 
Right: The largest factor in his success was the 
men whom he had befriended. 
Exercises, (a) Explain the person, tense, and number 
of each verb in the following sentences ; 



126 VERBS 

1. I shall leave town to-morrow. 

2. My father and my mother have come to hear me speak. 

3. Each boy and each girl received a gift. 

4. I do not see that you will gain anything by going away. 

5. I did not see the train approach because a man passed 
in front of me. 

6. By his stealthy movements, I judged that the fellow 
was a thief who had robbed a near-by house. 

7. At the close of next year the University will have com- 
pleted its tenth session. 

8. The committee has decided that you were correct in 
your statement. 

9. Before the player leaves the field, the students rush to 
him and place him upon their shoulders. 

10. You give me more help than I deserve; before you 
finish your task, I shall have completed mine. 

11. The stag at eve had drunk his fill 

Where danced the moon on Monan's rill. — Scott. 

12. The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, 

The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea. — Gray. 

13. Even to the utmost I have been to thee 
A kind and a good father. And herein 
I but repay a gift which I myself 
Received at others' hands. — Wordsworth. 

14. Henry and Hugh had not gone far before they dis- 
covered that neither the one nor the other of them had the 
slightest idea where he was. 

(b) Explain the person, tense, and number of each verb 
in the following selections : 

1. " Legend of Sleepy Hollow/' paragraphs 4, 26, and 36. 

2. " The Spectre Bridegroom," paragraphs 44 and 48. 

(c) Fill each blank with are or is, giving the reason for 
your choice in each instance. 

1. Neither of the boys very bright. 



VERBS 127 

2. The number of contestants small. 

3. His income as well as his savings swept away. 

4. Every house and every store in town filled with 

provisions. 

5. Neither pupil nor teacher allowed to leave the 

room. 

6. The strength and the weakness of the movement 

thus clearly shown. 

7. The satchel with all its contents lost. 

8. The introduction of such methods as these de- 
sirable. 

9. The falling of the leaves not always a sign that 

autumn has come. 

10. Neither of the speakers— — here, 
(d) Correct all mistakes in agreement between the verb 
and its subject in the following sentences, giving your rea- 
son for each correction. Two of the sentences are cor- 
rect. 

1. A herd of cattle numbering a thousand or more are a 
very impressive sight. 

2. In the intermission each of the players receive instruc- 
tion from the coach. 

3. The queen with her courtiers sweep proudly by. 

4. The legislature seem divided in its belief as to the 
possibility of enforcing this law. 

5. The lady with her two brothers wander into the forest 
and there meet Comus. 

6. The student-body of a college are composed of many 
various types of men. 

7. The clear-cut distinction which he draws between 
man's rights and his duties prove that he has mastered the 
subject. 

8. The way to judge men's actions are by the motives 
which inspired them. 



128 VERBS 

9. Neither envy nor malice are to be found in his con- 
versation. 

10. The study of mathematics has been of great advantage 
to me. 

11. Macbeth's courage and ambition seems small when 
contrasted with the courage and ambition of his wife. 

12. Nobody but the actors and their attendants are allowed 
behind the scenes. 

13. Neither his face nor his manner have helped him. 

14. In undertaking to control the liquor traffic, the city as 
well as the county look to the state for aid. 

15. The dress of his servants and followers shows that he 
is a foreigner. 

16. Clearly something is wrong when a legislative body of 
ninety-six members are able to pass only two bills in an 
entire year. 

17. The practice of both men and women differ according 
to their environment. 

18. The first sight which met my eyes were the sailors 
swarming over the sides of the ship. 

19. The most important period of a student's life are the 
first ten days that he spends at college. 

20. One part of a cadet's duties are to keep his room in 
order. 

Non-Modal Forms. The indicative, subjunctive, and 
imperative moods are called the modal forms of the verb. 
They are always predicative — that is to say, they are used 
to form the predicate of a clause or sentence. There are 
three non-modal forms of the verb — the Infinitive, the 
Gerund, and the Participle. These are non-predicative and 
cannot be used to form a predicate. 

Infinitive. The infinitive is a verbal noun. It is usually 
preceded by the preposition to, which is called the sign of 
the infinitive. The sign to is frequently omitted, especially 



VERBS 129 

after auxiliary verbs and such verbs as let, dare, help, please, 
see, make, need, etc. 

You need not come. 
I made him go. 
He dared not move. 
The infinitive is found in the present and past tenses, and 
in the case of transitive verbs, in both active and passive 
voices. The infinitive expresses time only relatively. Thus 
in " He was said to love/' we call " to love " a present in- 
finitive because it expresses time relatively present to that of 
the main verb, " was said." Likewise in " He was said to 
have loved/' we call " to have loved " a past infinitive be- 
cause it expresses time relatively past to that of "was said." 
When no definite reference is made to time, the present 
infinitive is used. 

To sleep is restful. 

Active Passive 

to love Present to be loved 

to have loved Past to have been loved 

In addition to voice and tense, the infinitive has other 
characteristics of a verb. 

1. It may have a subject ; this is put in the accusative case. 

He told me to come at once.* 

2. The infinitive of a transitive verb may have an object. 

He told me to sell the horse. 

3. The infinitive may be modified by an adverb. 

It is our duty to speak kindly to our friends. 
The infinitive may also be used as a substantive, an ad- 
jective, or an adverb. 
Substantive. 

* In such constructions as these the object of the main verb is 
neither the pronoun nor the infinitive, but both together — neither 
me nor to come, but me to come. See page 76. 



130 VERBS 

1. Subject of a verb. 

To sleep is restful. 

2. Object of a verb. 

He likes to run. 

3. Predicate. 

To see is to believe. 

4. Appositive. 

His one wish, to die, was not granted. 

5. Object of a preposition. 

I could do nothing but stare at him. 
Adjective. 

1. Substantive modifier. 

There is a time to work and a time to play. 

2. Predicate adjective. 

No more seats were to be had. 
Adverb. 

1. Modifying a verb. 

I came to see. 

2. Modifying an adjective. 

Mountains are hard to climb. 
Independent use. 

To tell the truth, I was afraid of snakes. 
Exercises, (a) Write original sentences containing all 
the infinitive forms of the following verbs : 

fly run load study throw move see 
(b) Explain the use of each infinitive in the following 
sentences : 

1. The task is not too difficult for me to accomplish. 

2. He is not the man that I thought him to be. 

3. This is not a time to delay. 

4. The order to retreat was not one to be obeyed. 

5. They wanted to know if they could go to meet the train. 

6. Not to have done at least one charitable act is to have 
lived in vain. 



VERBS 131 

7. Alkaline water is not good to drink. 

8. To have lived in this age is a high privilege. 

9. To make a long story short, they were married and 
lived happily ever afterward. 

10. 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have 
loved at all. — Tennyson. 

11. I wish to go away and be forgotten. 

12. To do good is noble, but to teach others how to do good 
is nobler. 

13. The sign " House to Let " is on every house. 

14. It is easy to continue in wrong-doing. 

15. We were glad to see our friends, but were sorry to 
learn that they had to leave on the morrow. 

Gerund. The gerund, like the infinitive, is a verbal noun. 
It has practically the same uses as the infinitive and is some- 
times called the infinitive in -ing, because it always ends in 
that suffix. 

Active Passive 

loving Presenf being loved 

having loved Past having been loved 

In addition to voice and tense, the gerund has other char- 
acteristics of a verb. 

1. It may have a subject; this is put in the accusative 
case. 

I heard them coming. 

2. It may have an object. 

Selling horses is not my business. 

3. It may be modified by an adverb. 

Eating slowly aids digestion. 
The gerund may also be used as a substantive, an ad- 
jective, or an adverb. 
Substantive. 

I. Subject of a verb. 
Sleeping is restful. 



I3 2 VERBS 

2. Object of a verb. 

He likes running. 

3. Predicate. 

Seeing is believing. 

4. Object of a preposition. 

We escaped by picking the lock. 
Adjective. . 

Give me some drinking water. 
Adverb. 

He came running. 
In such sentences as, " He taught the boy reading, writ- 
ing, and arithmetic," or " I gave the child my blessing," the 
words reading, writing, and blessing have lost their verbal 
force and have become simple nouns. They cannot take an 
object or be modified by an adverb, but can have case rela- 
tions and be modified by an adjective. When the gerund is 
modified by an article or an adjective, it also loses its verbal 
force and becomes a simple noun. 

Gerund: Pulling flowers is forbidden. 
Noun : The pulling of flowers is forbidden. 
Exercise, (a) Write original sentences containing all 
the gerund forms of the following verbs : 

bend break catch feed find 

(b) Explain the use of each gerund in the following 
sentences : 

1. Shooting sparrows and spinning tops were my favorite 
sports. 

2. Tito's having sinned once made it easier for him to 
sin again. 

3. Rowing is a healthful exercise. 

4. The magician made us doubt whether seeing is believing 
after all. 

5. By their shouting we knew that they had won. 

6. Travelling in this country is more popular now. 



VERBS 133 

7. After being cautioned, we were allowed to proceed. 

8. My having been helped made me more willing to do 
what I could. 

9. Betting on the games is forbidden. 

10. By knocking on the door we aroused the master of the 
house. 

Participle. The participle is a verbal adjective. It is 
found in the present, the past, and the perfect tenses, and in 
the case of transitive verbs, in both active and passive 
voices. 

Active Passive 

loving Present being loved 

loved Past loved 

having loved Perfect having been loved 

1. The child, crying bitterly, threw herself upon the floor. 

2. Throwing up his hands, he rushed from the room. 

3. Sadly perplexed, I turned from one to the other. 

4. Having closed the door, I turned to face my enemy. 

5. The boy, having been deserted by his friends, was left 
helpless. 

The verbal nature of the participle is shown by the fact 
that it can take an object and can be modified by an adverb ; 
the adjectival nature of the participle is shown by the fact 
that it is used to modify nouns and pronouns. In the sec- 
ond and fourth sentences, the participles throwing and 
having closed have as their objects the nouns hands and 
door. In the first and third sentences, the participles crying 
and perplexed are modified by the adverbs bitterly and sadly. 
And in all five sentences, the participles in italics modify 
the nouns and pronouns which are the subjects of the 
sentences. 

It is not easy at times to distinguish the present participle 
from the gerund. If, however, the original meanings are 
kept in mind, there will be little difficulty in telling them 



134 VERBS 

apart. The gerund is a verbal noun and the participle is a 
verbal adjective. 

i. I am tired of writing. 

2. Writing is an aid to accurate thinking. 

3. Writing rapidly, he filled sheet after sheet with an 
account of his trip. 

4. When I am in a writing mood, I do not like to be dis- 
turbed. 

In the first and second sentences it is evident that writing 
is a gerund since it is used as a noun, being the object of the 
preposition of in the first sentence and the subject of the 
second sentence. • In the third and fourth sentences, writing 
is a present participle since it is used as an adjective; in the 
third sentence writing modifies he, and in the fourth sen- 
tence writing modifies the noun mood. 

Just as the gerund may lose its verbal force and become 
used as a substantive (see page 132), so the participle may 
lose its verbal force and become a simple adjective. 
Death loves a shining mark. 
Peary invaded the frozen North. 
Sometimes the noun is omitted and the adjective is used 
alone as a substantive. 

Why seek ye the living (persons) among the dead 
(persons) ? 
Use. Participles may be used in three ways — as part 
of a verb phrase, as an adjective, or independently. 

When used as part of a verb phrase, they lose their 
identity as participles and are to be parsed, not as a parti- 
ciple, but as a verb phrase. See page 145. 
I have loved you. 
He had loved me. 
You were loved by him. 
Their use as adjectives has already been explained. 
They may also be used independently, but this use is not to 



VERBS 135 

be commended since the participle is here not closely con- 
nected with the rest of the sentence. 

The man having departed, we ventured to open the door. 

All things considered, he is the strongest candidate. 

Exercises, (a) Write original sentences containing all 
forms of the participles of the following verbs : 

hear see hold come walk dress raise 

(b) Give the tense, voice, and use of all the infinitives, 
gerunds, and participles in the following sentences : 

1. He had a strong face, bronzed by the sun and wind. 

2. At last Philip's patience seemed to snap. 

3. I saw him crawling away, covered with sand. 

4. He went off sulking; perhaps he had been shaken by 
his fall. 

5. What could a girl placed in such a position as mine 
do? 

6. He saw the tip of a crooked nose crushed against the 
window pane. 

7. Roy was several yards away, bending over his nets; 
he was standing quite still and looking intently at the water. 

8. Having wasted his fortune, the prodigal son returned to 
his father's home. 

9. He was waiting in the front room, watching Arthur 
handle some instruments. 

10. Morton was a retired sea captain, living in a small 
cabin by the sea. 

11. I was just going to slip out when I saw a coin that lay 
gleaming on the floor. 

12. It was a bronze coin and the color, combined with the 
shape, told me that it was valuable. 

13. I believe that my brother could see me burned like a 
witch for such a crime. 

14. He was in reality barely wetting his boots, but he 
seemed to be going out far beyond his depth. 



136 VERBS 

15. The stranger came on until he stood within two yards 
of me, the water washing over his shoes. 

16. When I saw that I was being praised for my actions, 
I became embarrassed. 

17. If the county had begun to build good roads two years 
ago, the farmers would now be able to sell their vegetables. 

18. Motioning to me to follow, he set off wading shore- 
ward, without paying any more attention to me. 

19. He still followed me, picking his way carefully among 
the rocks, and I heard his voice calling to me to stop. 

20. Almost without knowing it, the girl was soon telling 
her story to two listeners. 

21. I was too sleepy to pay further attention, and my pres- 
ence being no longer needed, I withdrew to think over the 
events of the day. 

22. Cromwell, I did not think to shed a tear, 
In all my miseries ; but thou has forced me, 
Out of thy honest truth, to play the woman. 

— Shakespeare, 
(c) Give the tense and use of all infinitives, gerunds, and 
participles in the following selections : 

1. " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," paragraphs 21 and 61. 

2. "The Spectre Bridegroom," paragraphs 31 and 41. 
Auxiliary Verbs. The verbs be, do, have, shall, and will 

are called auxiliary verbs because they are used in verb 
phrases to help express the meaning of other verbs. See 
conjugation of verbs, page 146. 

I am loved. 

We have loved. 

He did love. , 

I shall love. 

They will love. 
Other verbs that are sometimes used in this way are may, 



VERBS 137 

can, must, might, would, should, and could. The auxiliary 
verbs may also be used as main verbs. 

It is I. 

He did his work well. 

She has the best composition. 
The auxiliary verbs have to some extent replaced the use 
of the subjunctive mood in modern English. Thus instead 
of saying, " If he be lost," we are more likely to say, " If he 
should be lost." 

Shall and Will. Shall in the first person and will in the 
second and third point toward future acts. 

I shall receive my diploma in June. 

You will reach New York to-morrow. 

He will sail at sunrise. 
Will in the first person and shall in the second and third 
indicate exertion of the will or determination. 

I will sail at sunrise. 

You shall sail at sunrise. 

He shall sail at sunrise. 
The meaning of the first sentence is that the speaker is 
determined to sail at sunrise. Likewise in the other sen- 
tences is expressed the determination of the speaker that 
" you " and " he " shall sail at sunrise. Though the dis- 
tinction between shall and will is not as exact as it once was 
and they may, therefore, at times be used interchangeably, 
there still exists the difference in meaning which has just 
been illustrated, This difference can be kept clear by 
remembering the following sentences in which the meaning 
of each auxiliary is at once evident: 

I shall drown; nobody will help me. 

I will drown ; nobody shall help me. 
In questions, use the word that is expected in the answer. 

Shall you sail to-morrow? I shall. 



138 VERBS 

Will you defend yourself? I will. 
The first question expects an answer indicating purely future 
action; the second expects an answer denoting determina- 
tion. 

The contracted forms Til, we'll, I'd, we'd, etc., are for 
/ will, we will, I would, w:e would, and their use should 
be restricted to these forms. 

Other Auxiliaries. Can denotes ability and may per- 
mission. " Can I go ? " means " Am I physically able to 
go ? " " May I go ? " means " Have I permission to go ? " 
May is also used to denote a wish or a possibility. 
May you have a happy New Year. 
The roof may fall at any moment. 
Must denotes necessity. 

He must pay his debts. 
Might, could, would, and should are the past tenses of 
may, can, will, and shall, and are used accordingly. 

Exercises, (a) Fill the blanks in the following sentences 
with the proper words, giving a reason for your choice in 
each instance : 
I. Shall and Will 

1. I am determined that the curtain rise at eight 

o'clock. 

2. The boat — : sail on Saturday. 

3. My son be twenty in May. 

4. He be glad to see you. 

5. They not fail, if I can prevent it. 

6. Rip long remain a picturesque character in 

American fiction. 

7. . the ball game be played this afternoon? 

8. The baby be two years old in March. 

g t h e vo te for our candidate? He . 

10. If we wait much longer, we miss the train. 

11. Robert says that he go with us. 



VERBS 139 

12. The teachers predict that Ralph make his mark. 

13. I go, in spite of all opposition. 

14. it rain to-morrow? 

15. Do you think that he come? 

II. May and Can 

1. oil be mixed with water? 

2. you work this example ? 

3. He : — play a good game when he will. 

4. Pupil : " I go home ? " Teacher : " You 



5. You leave the office at one o'clock if you wish. 

6. His friends believe that he do the work. 

7. Unless you are careful you make a mistake. 

8. We win, though I doubt it. 

9. you grow cotton on sandy soil? 

10. You take as much as you wish after I have 

had my share. 

(b) Point out the auxiliaries in the following se- 
lections : 

1. " Rip Van Winkle," paragraph 46. 

2. " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow/' paragraph 

55- 

3. "The Spectre Bridegroom," paragraph 51. 
Conjugation. The principal parts of a verb are the Pres- 
ent Indicative, the Past Indicative, and the Past Participle. 
According to the method in which they form their past tense 
and their past participle, verbs are classified as Regular and 
Irregular. 

Regular Verbs. The regular verbs form their past tense 
and past participle by adding -d, -ed, or -t to the present 
tense. 

love loved loved 

call called called 

creep crept crept 



140 VERBS • 

Irregular Verbs. The irregular verbs form their past 
tense by changing the vowel of the present tense ; they form 
the past participle by changing the vowel of the present 
tense, by adding -n or -en to the present stem, or by both 
methods. 

begin began begun 

take took taken 

speak spoke spoken 

Many of these verbs are passing over to the regular con- 
jugation. Thus we have the parallel forms: 
clad, clothed 
crew, crowed 
throve, thrived. 
Exercise. Classify the following verbs as regular or 
irregular. Give the principal parts of each verb and use 
them correctly in sentences. 



arise 


obey 


lift 


forget 


bend 


hide 


lie 


win 


build 


sit 


see 


paint 


begin 


teach 


move 


write 


stand 


give 


open 


dare 


Errors in 


the Use of Verbs. 


The past tense and the past 



participle of certain verbs are often wrongly used for each 
other. None but the uneducated say " I have saw " or " I 
have took," but such statements as " I have broke the 
rules " or " The bell rung " are heard only too frequently. 
The following are the verbs most frequently misused in this 
way: 

beat beat beaten 

begin began begun 

break broke broken 

choose chose chosen 

drink drank drunk 

forbid forbade forbidden 



VERBS 



141 



freeze 


froze 


frozen 


run 
ride 


ran 
rode 


run 
ridden 


ring 

speak 

steal 


rang 

spoke 

stole 


rung 

spoken 

stolen 


swim 


swam 


swum 


wear 
write 


wore 
wrote 


worn 
written 



The present tense of the verbs ask and come is some- 
times wrongly used for the past tense, and the past tense 
of the verbs eat and lead is sometimes wrongly spelled like 
the present. 

ask asked asked 

come came come 

eat ate eaten 

lead led led 

Exercise. Correct the errors in tense of the verbs in 
the following sentences and give your reason for each cor- 
rection. Two of the sentences are correct. 

1. He eat slowly, as one should eat. 

2. The Democrats have chose Wilson as their candi- 
date. 

3. I have spoke to the manager about my salary. 

4. The preacher had hardly began his sermon when the 
storm begun. 

5. She has wore the same dress all spring. 

6. The deer had already swam the stream. 

7. I have ran all the way to meet you. 

8. He has forbade any one to leave the room. 

9. He begun to deny the charge. 

10. The Italian lead his bear past the school-house. 

11. The farmer had not yet broke the ground for his 
new barn. 



142 VERBS 

12. He had drunk only one cup of coffee. 

13. The bell has rang and the classes have begun. 

14. I have almost froze in this cold north wind. 

15. The clerk stole over fifty dollars. 

16. He came in and ask if he might stay. 

17. I have not yet wrote my exercise. 

18. I seized the cup and drunk eagerly. 

19. The horse broke the traces and swum across the river. 

20. How often have your rivals beat you playing baseball ? 
The verbs in the following list are often improperly 

used: 

Affect. Effect. Affect means to act upon, to influence; 
effect means to bring about, to accomplish. 

He was greatly affected by the news of his friend's 

death. 
I have effected several changes in ouf method of 
business. 
Effect may also be used as a noun and is then equivalent 
to result. 

What was the effect of his action? 
Enthuse. There is no such word as enthuse. Use en- 
thusiasm or enthusiastic. 

Wrong : The students were greatly enthused over their 

victory. 
Right : The students were Very enthusiastic over their 
victory. 
Find. Locate. Locate means to place in a particular 
spot, to fix the situation of. It should not be used for to find. 
Wrong : Did you succeed in locating the man you were 
looking for? 
Learn. Teach. The verb learn does not take an animate 
object; use the verb teach. 

Wrong : He learned me Latin. 
Right: ge taught me Latin. 



VERBS 143 

Right : He learned his lesson. 
Lend. Loan. Loan is not a verb but a noun. 
Wrong: Money to loan. 
Right : Money to lend. 

Right: He asked for a loan of Jen dollars. 
Lose. Loose. Loose means to release; lose means to be 
deprived of, to part with unintentionally . 

The woman loosed the dog when she saw the tramp 

approach. 
If you go out, you will lose your seat. 
Propose. Purpose. Propose means to make or an- 
nounce a plan and should not be used for to purpose or in- 
tend. 

Wrong : I do not propose to let him off so lightly. 
Raise. Rear. Raise is used with reference to vegetables 
and animals ; when referring to persons, use rear. 

A stockman is one who raises cattle for a living. 
Patience is necessary if you wish to rear children prop- 
erly. 
Suspicion. Suspect. Expect. Suspicion is a noun and 
should never be used as a verb ; use suspect. Expect means 
to look forward to as probable and should not be loosely 
used for suspect, think, guess, or suppose. 
Right: I suspect that he is guilty. 
Right: I expect that he will be proved guilty when 

he is tried. 
Wrong: I expect you are tired of hearing me talk. 
Exercise. Correct all mistakes in the use of the verbs 
in the following sentences, giving your reason for each cor- 
rection. Two of the sentences are correct. 

1. My stepmother did not know how to raise children. 

2. My room-mate loaned me money whenever I needed it. 

3. The affect of the drug was to stupify those who drank 
it. 



144 VERBS 

4. I expect you were wondering what had become of us. 

5. Don't loose that letter, whatever else you do. 

6. Try as I might, I could not effect an entrance into the 
room. 

7. Silas did not suspicion Dunstan of stealing his 
money. 

8. Rheumatic patients are often effected by changes in 
the weather. 

9. The cord is attached to the hat-band in order that the 
owner may not loose his hat. 

10. He did not seem to be greatly effected by the loss of 
his property. 

11. If the banks will loan me enough money, I shall lo- 
cate my factory in their city. 

12. I expect you think me very foolish, do you not? 

13. I shall live in the country and raise cotton for a living. 

14. Although the news effected him deeply, he did not 
loose his presence of mind. 

15. My parents having died when I was six years old, I was 
raised by my grandparents. 

16. Phrases which modify the subject do not effect its 
number. 

17. I suspect that the verdict will be, " Not guilty? " 

18. The victory served to enthuse the Grecians greatly and 
they prepared to repel the invading army. 

19. Although there was a deficit, the directors did not sus- 
picion the cashier. 

In parsing a verb we should tell its : 

1. Class — transitive, complete, or linking. 

2. Mood 

3. Voice 

4. Tense 

5. Person and number 

6. Conjugation and principal parts 



VERBS 145 

7. Construction, 

Parsing. If it is a modal form, give its subject and predi- 
cate; if it is a non-modal form, give its use. Thus, — 

He was unhappy because he had failed. 
Was is a linking verb in the indicative mood, active voice, 
past tense, third person, and singular number. Its prin- 
cipal parts are am, was, been. It joins the subject He with 
the predicate adjective unhappy. Had failed is a complete 
verb in the indicative mood, active voice, past perfect tense, 
third person, and singular number. It is a regular verb; 
its principal parts are fail, failed, failed. Its subject is he, 
the verb itself being the predicate. 

Merely to have seen you comforts me. 
To have seen is an infinitive of the transitive verb see. It 
is in the active voice and past tense. See is an irregular 
verb; its principal parts are see, saw, seen. It is modified 
by the adverb merely and has as its object the pronoun you; 
the subject of the sentence is to have seen you. Comforts 
is a transitive verb in the indicative mood, active voice, 
present tense, third person, and singular number. It is a 
regular verb; its principal parts are comfort, comforted, 
comforted. Its subject is to have seen you and its object 
is me. 

Exercises, (a) Parse all verbs in the following sen- 
tences : 

1. Exercise (a), page 35. 

2. Exercise (d), page 81. 

3. Exercise, page 121. 

(b) Parse all verbs in the following selections: 

1. " Rip Van Winkle," paragraphs 38 and 47. 

2. " The Spectre Bridegroom," paragraphs 12 and 

19. 

3. " Christmas," paragraphs 2 and 7. 



146 



VERBS 



Conjugation. In conjugating a verb the pupil should 
always give the corresponding forms of the personal pro- 
noun as well as the verb forms. 

For the declension of the personal pronoun, see page 71. 

To Be 



Indicative Mood 




Present Tense 




Singular 


Plural 


am 


are 


are 


are 


is 


are 


Past Tense 




was 


were 


were 


were 


was 


were 


Future Tense 




shall be 


shall be 


will be 


will be 


will be 


will be 


Present Perfect Tense 




have been 


have been 


have been 


have been 


has been 


have been 


Past Perfect Tense 




had been 


had been 


had been 


had been 


had been 


had been 


Future Perfect Tense 




shall have been 


shall have been 


will have been 


will have been 


will have been 


will have been 



VERBS 



147 





Subjunctive Mood 




t 


Present Tense 




Singular 




Plural 


be 




be 


be 




be 


be 


Past Tense 


be 


were 




were 


were 




were 


were 


Imperative Mood 


were 


be (thou) 


be (you) 




Participle 




Present 


Past 


Perfect 


being 


been 
Infinitive 


having been 


to be 


to have been 




Gerund 




being 


having been 




To Have 


Indicative Mood 

Present Tense 




Singular 




Plural 


have 




•have 


have 




have 


has 


Past Tense 


have 


had 




had 


had 




had 


had 


Future Tense 


had 


shall have 


shall have 


will have 


will have 


will have 


will have 



148 VERBS 

Present Perfect Tense 



Plural 






Plural 


have had 






have had 


have had 






have had 


has had 






have had 




Past 


Perfect 


Tense 


had had 






had had 


had had 






had had 


had had 






had had 



Future Perfect Tense 
shall have had shall have had 

will have had will have had 

will have had will have had 





Subjunctive Mood 






Present Tense 






have 




have 




have 




have 




have 


Past Tense 


have 




had 




had 




had 




had 




had 


Imperative Mood 

Present Tense 


had 




have (thou) 


have 


(you) 




Participle 






Present 


Past 




Perfect 


having 


had 


having had 




Infinitive 






to have 


to have had 







VERBS 



149 





Gerund 




Present 


Past 




having 


having had 




Love 


ACTIVE VOICE 

Indicative Mood 

Present Tense 


1 


Singular 




Plural 


love 




love 


love 




love 


loves 


Past Tense 


love 


loved 




loved 


loved 




loved 


loved 


Future Tense 


loved 


shall love 




shall love 


will love 




will love 


will love 




will love 



Present Perfect Tense 

have loved have loved 

have loved have loved 

has loved have loved 

Past Perfect Tense 

had loved had loved 

had loved had loved 

had loved had loved 

Future Perfect Tense 
shall have loved shall have loved 

will have loved will have loved 

will have loved will have loved 



150 



VERBS 



Subjunctive Mood 




Present Tense 




Singular 




Plural 


love 




love 


love 




love 


love 


Past Tense 


love 


loved 




loved 


loved 




loved 


loved 

: 


[mperative Mood 

Present Tense 


loved 


love (thou) 


Participle 


love (you) 


Present 


Past 


Perfect 


loving 


loved 
Infinitive 


having loved 


to love 


to have loved 




Gerund 




loving 


having loved 


PASSIVE VOICE 




Indicative Mood 






Present Tense 




Singular 




Plural 


am loved 




are loved 


are loved 




are loved 


is loved 


Past Tense 


are loved 


was loved 




were loved 


were loved 




were loved 


was loved 




were loved 



VERBS 



151 



Plural 
shall be loved 
will be loved 
will be loved 



Future Tense 
Singular 
shall be loved 
will be loved 
will be loved 

Present Perfect Tense 
have been loved have been loved 

have been loved . have been loved 

has been loved have been loved 

Past Perfect Tense 
had been loved had been loved 

had been loved had been loved 

had been loved had been loved 

Future Perfect Tense 
shall have been loved shall have been loved 

will have been loved will have been loved 

will have been loved will have been loved 

Subjunctive Mood 





Present Tense 




be loved 




be loved 


be loved 




be loved 


be loved 


Past Tense 


be loved 


were loved 




were loved 


were loved 




were loved 


were loved 




were loved 


Imperative Mood 






Present Tense 




be (thou) loved 


be (you) loved 




Participle 




Present 


Past 


Perfect 


being loved 


loved 


having been loved 



152 VERBS 

Infinitive 

Present Past 

to be loved to have been loved 

being loved having been loved 

Gerund 

being loved having been loved 

Exercise. Conjugate in full the following verbs: 

call teach live run 



X 

CHRISTMAS EVE 

i. It was a brilliant moonlight night, but extremely cold; 
our chaise whirled rapidly over the frozen ground; the post- 
boy smacked his whip incessantly, and a part of the time his 
horses were on a gallop. " He knows where he is going," said 
my companion, laughing, " and is eager to arrive in time for 
some of the merriment and good cheer of the servants' hall. 
My father, you must know, is a bigoted devotee of the old 
school, and prides himself upon keeping up something of old 
English hospitality. He is a tolerable specimen of what you 
will rarely meet with nowadays in its purity, the old English 
country gentleman; for our men of fortune spend so much of 
their time in town, and fashion is carried so much into the 
country, that the strong rich peculiarities of ancient rural life 
are almost polished away. My father, however, from early years 
took honest Peacham for his text-book, instead of Chester- 
field ; 1 he determined in his own mind that there was no con- 
dition more truly honorable and enviable than that of a country 
gentleman on his paternal lands, and therefore passes the 
whole of his time on his estate. He is a strenuous advocate 
for the revival of the old rural games and holiday observances, 
and is deeply read in the writers, ancient and modern, who 
have treated on the subject. Indeed his favorite range of 
reading is among the authors who flourished at least two 
centuries since; who, he insists, wrote and thought more like 

1 Peacham . . . Chesterfield: Peacham's Complete Gentlemen was 
published in 1622. Chesterfield has been regarded as the most fin- 
ished gentleman of all times. His Letters to a Son gives his ideas of 
what a gentleman should be. 

153 



154 CHRISTMAS EVE 

true Englishmen than any of their successors. He even re- 
grets sometimes that he had not been born a few centuries 
earlier, when England was itself, and had its peculiar manners 
and customs. As he lives at some distance from the main 
road, in rather a lonely part of the country, without any rival 
gentry near him, he has that most enviable of all blessings 
to an Englishman, an opportunity of indulging the bent of his 
own humor without molestation. Being representative of the 
oldest family in the neighborhood, and a great part of the 
peasantry being his tenants, he is much looked up to, and, in 
general, is known simply by the appellation of ' The Squire ' ; 
a title which has been accorded to the head of the family since 
time* immemorial. I think it best to give you these hints about 
my worthy old father, to prepare you for any eccentricities 
that might otherwise appear absurd." 

2. We have passed for some time along the wall of a park, 
and at length the chaise stopped at the gate. It was in a heavy 
magnificent old style, of iron bars, fancifully wrought at top 
into flourishes and flowers. The huge square columns that 
supported the gate were surmounted by the family crest. Close 
adjoining was the porter's lodge, sheltered under dark fir-trees, 
and almost buried in shrubbery. 

3. The post-boy rang a large porter's bell, which resounded 
through the still frosty air, and was answered by the distant 
barking of dogs, with which the mansion-house seemed gar- 
risoned. An old woman immediately appeared at the gate. 
As the moonlight fell strongly upon her, I had a full view of a 
little primitive dame, dressed very much in the antique taste, 
with a neat kerchief and stomacher, and her silver hair peep- 
ing from under a cap of snowy whiteness. She came cour- 
tesying forth, with many expressions of simple joy at seeing 
her young master. Her husband, it seemed, was up at the 
house keeping Christmas eve in the servants' hall; they could 
not do without him, as he was the best hand at a song and 
story in the household. 

4. My friend proposed that we should alight and walk through 
the park to the hall, which was at no great distance, while 



CHRISTMAS EVE 155 

the chaise should follow on. Our road wound through a noble 
avenue of trees, among the naked branches of which the moon 
glittered, as she rolled through the deep vault of a cloudless 
sky. The lawn beyond was sheeted with a slight covering of 
snow, which here and there sparkled as the moonbeams caught 
a frosty crystal; and at a distance might be seen a thin trans- 
parent vapor, stealing up from the low grounds, and threatening 
gradually to shroud the landscape. 

5. My companion looked around him with transport : " How 
often," said he, " have I scampered up this avenue, on returning 
home on school vacations ! How often have I played under 
these trees when a boy ! I feel a degree of filial reverence for 
them, as we look up to those who have cherished us in child- 
hood. My father was always scrupulous in exacting our holi- 
days, and having us around him on family festivals. He used 
to direct and superintend our games with the strictness that 
some parents do the studies of their children. He was very 
particular that we should play the old English games according 
to their original form; and consulted old books for precedent 
and authority for every * merrie disport ' ; yet I assure you 
there never was pedantry so delightful. It was the policy 
of the good old gentleman to make his children feel that home 
was the happiest place in the world; and I value this delicious 
home-feeling as one of the choicest gifts a parent could bestow." 

6. We were interrupted by the clamor of a troop of dogs 
of all sorts and sizes, "mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound, 
and curs of low degree," that, disturbed by the ring of the 
porter's bell and the rattling of the chaise, came bounding, 
open-mouthed, across the lawn. 

" ' The little dogs and all, 

Tray, Blanch, and Sweetheart, see, they bark at me!' " 

cried Bracebridge, laughing. At the sound of his voice, the 
bark was changed into a yelp of delight, and in a moment he 
was surrounded and almost overpowered by the caresses of the 
faithful animals. 

7. We had now come in full view of the old family mansion, 



15° CHRISTMAS EVE 

partly thrown in deep shadow, and partly lit up by the cool 
moonshine. It was an irregular building, of some magnitude, 
and seemed to be of the architecture of different periods. — 
One wing was evidently very ancient, with heavy stone-shafted 
bow-windows jutting out and overrun with ivy, from among 
the foliage of which the small diamond-shaped panes of glass 
glittered with the moonbeams. The rest of the house was in 
the French taste of Charles the Second's time, 2 having been 
repaired and altered, as my friend told me, by one of his an- 
cestors, who returned with that monarch at the Restoration. 
The grounds about the house were laid out in the old formal 
manner of artificial flower-beds, clipped shrubberies, raised ter- 
races, and heavy stone balustrades, ornamented with urns, a 
leaden statue or two, and a jet of water. The old gentleman, 
I was told, was extremely careful to preserve this obsolete 
finery in all its original state. He admired this fashion in 
gardening; it had an air of magnificence, was courtly and noble, 
and befitting good old family style. The boasted imitation 
of nature in modern gardening had sprung up with modern 
republican notions, but did not suit a monarchial government; 
it smacked of the levelling system. I could not help smiling 
at this introduction of politics into gardening, though I ex- 
pressed some apprehension that I should find the old gentleman 
rather intolerant in his creed. Frank assured me, however, 
that it was almost the only instance in which he had ever heard 
his father meddle with politics; and he believed that he had 
got this notion from a member of parliament who once passed 
a few weeks with him. The Squire was glad of any argument 
to defend his clipped yew-trees and formal terraces, which had 
been occasionally attacked by modern landscape gardeners. 

8. As we approached the house, we heard the sound of 
music, and now and then a burst of laughter, from one end of 
the building. This, Bracebridge said, must proceed from the 

2 French taste of Charles the Second's time: Charles II returned 
from exile after the death of Oliver Cromwell and brought with him 
the manners and customs of the French Court, at which he had been 
entertained during the years of the Protectorate. 



CHRISTMAS EVE 157 

servants' hall, where a great deal of revelry was permitted, 
and even encouraged by the Squire, throughout the twelve days 
of Christmas, provided everything was done conformably to 
ancient usage. Here were kept up the old games of hoodman 
blind, shoe the wild mare, hot cockles, steal the white loaf, 
bob apple, and snap-dragon ; the Yule clog and Christmas candle 
were regularly burnt, and the mistletoe, with its white berries, 
hung up, to the imminent peril of all the pretty housemaids.* 

9. So intent were the servants upon their sports that we 
had to ring repeatedly before we could make ourselves heard. 
On our arrival being announced, the Squire came out to receive 
us, accompanied by his two other sons: one a young officer in 
the army, home on leave of absence; the other an Oxonian, 3 
just from the university. The Squire was a fine healthy-looking 
old gentleman, with silver hair curling lightly round an open 
florid countenance; in which the physiognomist, with the ad- 
vantage, like myself, of a previous hint or two, might discover 
a singular mixture of whim and benevolence. 

10. The family meeting was warm and affectionate: as the 
evening was far advanced, the Squire would not permit us to 
change our travelling dresses, but ushered us at once to the 
company, which was assembled in a large old-fashioned hall. 
It was composed of different branches of a numerous family 
connection, where there were the usual proportion of old uncles 
and aunts, comfortable married dames, superannuated spinsters, 
blooming country cousins, half-fledged striplings, and bright- 
eyed boarding-school hoydens. They were variously occupied: 
some at a round game of cards; others conversing around the 
fireplace ; at one end of the hall was a group of the young folks, 
some nearly grown up, others of a more tender and budding 
age, fully engrossed by a merry game ; and a profusion of wooden 
horses, penny trumpets, and tattered dolls, about the floor, 
showed traces of a troop of little fairy beings who, having frol- 

* The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at 
Christmas ; and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls 
under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the 
berries are all plucked, the privilege ceases. [ Irving' s note.] 

3 Oxonian: An Oxford student. 



158 CHRISTMAS EVE 

icked through a happy day, had been carried off to slumber 
through a peaceful night. 

11. While the mutual greetings were going on between young 
Bracebridge and his relatives, I had time to scan the apartment. 
I have called it a hall, for so it had certainly been in old times, 
and the Squire had evidently endeavored to restore it to some- 
thing of its primitive state. Over the heavy projecting fireplace 
was suspended a picture of a warrior in armor, standing by a 
white horse, and on the opposite wall hung a helmet, buckler, and 
lance. At one end an enormous pair of antlers were inserted 
in the wall, the branches serving as hooks on which to suspend 
hats, whips, and spurs ; and in the corners of the apartment were 
fowling-pieces, fishing-rods, and other sporting implements. The 
furniture was of the cumbrous workmanship of former days, 
though some articles of modern convenience had been added, 
and the oaken floor had been carpeted; so that the whole pre- 
sented an odd mixture of parlor and hall. 

12. The grate had been removed from the wide overwhelm- 
ing fireplace, to make way for a fire of wood, in the midst of 
which was an enormous log glowing and blazing, and sending 
forth a vast volume of light and heat : this I understood was the 
Yule clog, which the Squire was particular in having brought 
in and illumined on a Christmas eve, according to ancient 
custom.* 

*The Yule clog is a great log of wood, sometimes the root of a 
tree, brought into the house with great ceremony, on Christmas Eve, 
laid in the fireplace, and lighted with the brand of last year's clog. 
While it lasted, there was great drinking, singing, and telling of 
tales. Sometimes it was accompanied by Christmas candles ; but in 
the cottages the only light was from the ruddy blaze of the great 
wood-fire. The Yule clog was to burn all night ; if it went out, it was 
considered a sign of ill-luck. 

Herrick mentions it in one of his songs : — 

" Come, bring with a noise, 

My merrie, merrie boyes, 
The Christmas log to the firing : 

While my good dame, she 

Bids ye all be free, 
And drink to your hearts' desiring." 



CHRISTMAS EVE 159 

13. It was really delightful to see the old Squire seated in 
his hereditary elbow-chair, by the hospitable fireside of his 
ancestors, and looking around him like the sun of a system, 
beaming warmth and gladness to every heart. Even the very 
dog that lay stretched at his feet, as he lazily shifted his posi- 
tion and yawned, would look fondly up in his master's face, 
wag his tail against the floor, and stretch himself again to 
sleep, confident of kindness and protection. There is an ema- 
nation from the heart in genuine hospitality which cannot be 
described, but is immediately felt, and puts the stranger at 
once at his ease. I had not been seated many minutes by the 
comfortable hearth of the worthy old cavalier before I found 
myself as much at home as if I had been one of the family. 

14. Supper was announced shortly after our arrival. It was 
served up in a spacious oaken chamber, the panels of which 
shone with wax, and around which were several family por- 
traits decorated with holly and ivy. Besides the accustomed 
lights, two great wax tapers, called Christmas candles, wreathed 
with greens, were placed on a highly-polished beaufet among 
the family plate. The table was abundantly spread with sub- 
stantial fare; but the Squire made his supper of frumenty, a 
dish made of wheat-cakes boiled in milk, with rich spices, being 
a standing dish in old times for Christmas eve. 

15. I was happy to find my old friend, minced-pie, in the 
retinue of the feast; and finding him to be perfectly orthodox, 
and that I need not be ashamed of my predilection, I greeted 
him with all the warmth wherewith we usually greet an old and 
very genteel acquaintance. 

16. The mirth of the company was greatly promoted by the 
humors of an eccentric personage whom Mr. Bracebridge always 
addressed with the quaint appellation of Master Simon. He 

The Yule clog is still burnt in many farm-houses and kitchens in 
England, particularly in the north, and there are several supersti- 
tions connected with it among the peasantry. If a squinting person 
come to the house while it is burning, or a person barefooted, it is 
considered an ill omen. The brand remaining from the Yule clog is 
carefully put away to light the next year's Christmas fire. [Irving's 
note.] 



l6o CHRISTMAS EVE 

was a tight brisk little man, with the air of an arrant old 
bachelor. His nose was shaped like the bill of a parrot; his 
face slightly pitted with the small-pox, with a dry perpetual 
bloom on it, like a frostbitten leaf in autumn. He had an eye 
of great quickness and vivacity, with a drollery and lurking 
waggery of expression that was irresistible. He was evidently 
the wit of the family, dealing very much in sly jokes and in- 
nuendoes with the ladies, and making infinite merriment by 
harping upon old themes; which, unfortunately, my ignorance 
of the family chronicles did not permit me to enjoy. It seemed 
to be his great delight during supper to keep a young girl next 
him in a continual agony of stifled laughter, in spite of her awe 
of the reproving looks of her mother, who sat opposite. Indeed, 
he was the idol of the younger part of the company, who 
laughed at everything he said or did, «and at every turn of his 
countenance ; I could not wonder at it ; for he must have been 
a miracle of accomplishments in their eyes. He could imitate 
Punch and Judy; make an old woman of his hand, with the 
assistance of a burnt cork and pocket-handkerchief; and cut 
an orange into such a ludicrous caricature, that the young folks 
were ready to die with laughing. 

17. I was let briefly into his history by Frank Bracebridge. 
He was an old bachelor, of a small independent income, which, 
by careful management, was sufficient for all his wants. He 
revolved through the family system like a vagrant comet in 
its orbit ; sometimes visiting one branch, and sometimes another 
quite remote ; as is often the case with gentlemen of extensive 
connections and small fortunes in England. He had a chirping 
buoyant disposition, always enjoying the present moment; and 
his frequent change of scene and company prevented his ac- 
quiring those rusty unaccommodating habits, with which old 
bachelors are so uncharitably charged. He was a complete 
family chronicle, being versed in the genealogy, history, and in- 
termarriages of the whole house of Bracebridge, which made 
him a great favorite with the old folks ; he was a beau of all the 
elder ladies and superannuated spinsters, among whom he was 
habitually considered rather a young fellow, and he was master 



CHRISTMAS EVE l6l 

of the revels among the children ; so that there was not a more 
popular being in the sphere in which he moved than Mr. Simon 
Bracebridge. Of late years, he had resided almost entirely with 
the Squire, to whom he had become a factotum, and whom he par- 
ticularly delighted by jumping with his humor in respect to old 
times, and by having a scrap of an old song to suit every occasion. 
We had presently a specimen of his last-mentioned talent; for 
no sooner was supper removed, and spiced wines and other 
beverages peculiar to the season introduced, than Master Simon 
was called on for a good old Christmas song. He bethought 
himself a moment, and then, with a sparkle of the eye, and a 
voice that was by no means bad, excepting that it ran occasionally 
into a falsetto, like the notes of a split reed, he quavered forth 
a quaint old ditty. 

" Now Christmas is come, 

Let us beat up the drum, 
And call all our neighbors together, 

And when they appear, 

Let us make them such cheer, 
As will keep out the wind and the weather," etc. 

18. The supper had disposed every one to gayety and an 
old harper was summoned from the servants' hall, where he 
had been strumming all the evening, and to all appearance 
comforting himself with some of the Squire's home-brewed. He 
was a kind of hanger-on, I was told, of the establishment, and 
though ostensibly a resident of the village, was oftener to be 
found in the Squire's kitchen than his own home, the old gen- 
tleman being fond of the sound of "harp in hall." 

19. The dance, like most dances after supper, was a merry 
one; some of the older folks joined in it, and the Squire him- 
self figured down several couple with a partner, with whom he 
affirmed he had danced at every Christmas for nearly half a 
century. Master Simon, who seemed to be a kind of connect- 
ing link between the old times and the new, and to be withal 
a little antiquated in the taste of his accomplishments, evidently 
piqued himself on his dancing, and was endeavoring to gain 
credit by the heel and toe, rigadoon, and other graces of the 



1 62 CHRISTMAS EVE 

ancient school; but he had unluckily assorted himself with a 
little romping girl from boarding-school, who, by her wild 
vivacity, kept him continually on the stretch, and defeated all 
his sober attempts at elegance :< — such are the illassorted 
matches to which antique gentlemen are unfortunately prone ! , 

20. The young Oxonian, on the contrary, had led out one of 
his maiden aunts, on whom the rogue played a thousand little 
knaveries with impunity: he was full of practical jokes, and his 
delight was to tease his aunts and cousins; yet, like all mad- 
cap youngsters, he was a universal favorite among the women. 
The most interesting couple in the dance was the young officer 
and a ward of the Squire's, a beautiful blushing girl of seven- 
teen. From several shy glances which I had noticed in the 
course of the evening, I suspected there was a little kindness 
growing up between them, and, indeed, the young soldier was 
just the hero to captivate a romantic girl. He was tall, slender, 
and handsome, and, like most young British officers of late years, 
had picked up various small accomplishments on the continent ; — 
he could talk French and Italian — draw landscapes — sing very 
tolerably — dance divinely ; but, above all, he had been wounded 
at Waterloo : — what girl of seventeen, well read in poetry and 
romance, could resist such a mirror of chivalry and perfection ! 

21. The moment the dance was over, he caught up a guitar 
and, lolling against the old marble fireplace, in an attitude which 
I am half inclined to suspect was studied, began the little French 
air of the Troubadour. The Squire, however, exclaimed against 
having anything on Christmas eve but good old English; upon 
which the young minstrel, casting up his eye for a moment, as 
if in an effort of memory/ struck into another strain, and, with 
a charming air of gallantry, gave Herrick's " Night-Piece to 
Julia." 4 

4 Herrick's "Night-Piece to Julia": Herrick was an English poet 
of the 17th century. 

Her eyes the glow-worm lend thee; 
The shooting stars attend thee, 
And the elves also, 
Whose little eyes glow 
Like the sparks of fire, befriend thee. 



CHRISTMAS EVE 163 

22. The song might or might not have been intended in 
compliment to the fair Julia, for so I found his partner was 
called; she, however, was certainly unconscious of any such 
application, for she never looked at the singer, but kept her eyes 
cast upon the floor. Her face was suffused, it is true, with a 
beautiful blush, and there was a gentle heaving of the bosom, 
but all that was doubtless caused by the exercise of the dance; 
indeed, so great was her indifference, that she amused herself 
with plucking to pieces a choice bouquet of hot-house flowers, 
and by the time the song was concluded the nosegay lay in ruins 
on the floor. 

23. The party now broke up for the night with the kind- 
hearted old custom of shaking hands. As I passed through the 
hall, on my way to my chamber, the dying embers of the Yule 
clog still sent forth a dusky glow, and had it not been the season 
when " no spirit dares stir abroad," 5 I should have been half 
tempted to steal from my room at midnight, and peep whether 
the fairies might not be at their revels about the hearth. 

24. My chamber was in the old part of the mansion, the 
ponderous furniture of which might have been fabricated in 
the days of the giants. The room was panelled with cornices 

No Will-o'-the-Wisp mislight thee ; 
Nor snake nor slow-worm bite thee; 

But on, on thy way, 

Not making a stay, 
Since ghosts there is none to affright thee. 

Then let not the dark thee cumber ; 
What though the moon does slumber, 

The stars of the night 

Will lend thee their light, 
Like tapers clear without number. 

Then, Julia, let me woo thee, 
Thus, thus to come unto me, 
And when I shall meet 
Thy silvery feet, 
My soul I'll pour into thee. 
5 "No spirit dares stir abroad": Shakespeare's "Hamlet." See 
also paragraph 9 of " Christmas " for the whole quotation. 



1 64 CHRISTMAS EVE 

of heavy carved work, in which flowers and grotesque faces 
were strangely intermingled ; and a row of black-looking portraits 
stared mournfully at me from the walls. The bed was of rich, 
though faded damask, with a lofty tester, and stood in a niche 
opposite a bow-window. I had scarcely got into bed when a 
strain of music seemed to break forth in the air just below the 
window. I listened, and found it proceeded from a band, which 
I concluded to be the waits 6 from some neighboring village. 
They went round the house, playing under the windows. I 
drew aside the curtains to hear them more distinctly. The moon- 
beams fell through the upper part of the casement, partially 
lighting up the antiquated apartment. The sounds, as they re- 
ceded, became more soft and aerial, and seemed to accord with 
the quiet and moonlight. I listened and listened, — they became 
more and more tender and remote, and, as they gradually died 
away, my head sunk upon the pillow, and I fell asleep. 

CHRISTMAS EVE 
Class Discussion 

You must catch the Christmas spirit at the very begin- 
ning of this essay in order to appreciate it fully. Have 
you ever spent a Christmas Eve that reminds you of this? 
Do you think that the celebration of the holiday is very 
different in England and in America? What games and 
familiar customs are mentioned in paragraph 8? Did you 
ever hear of the Yule Clog before? 

Does the author make fun of any particular characters? 
Who is an Oxonian? Make a list of the different persons 
to whom you are introduced. You will find most of them 
mentioned in " Christmas Day " and in " Christmas Din- 
ner " when you read these selections. 

What peculiarities does the Squire possess ? Do you ad- 
mire him? Read the description of Master Simon. It is 

6 Waits: See note 3, paragraph 8, " Christmas." 



CHRISTMAS EVE 165 

a brief, clear-cut description such as Irving is fond of giv- 
ing- 

Write a letter to your aunt telling how your younger 
sisters and brothers looked forward to the coming of Santa 
Claus. 



XI 
ADVERBS 

Definition. An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an 
adjective, or another adverb. 
He walks rapidly. 
My lesson is unusually long. 
The child answered very respectfully. 
She will come by and by. 
Formation. Many adverbs are formed from adjectives by 
the addition of -ly. 

slow slowly 

sad sadly 

There are, however, adverbs that have the same form 
as the corresponding adjectives. See page 105. Some 
of these are fast, early, ill, well, hard, and much. 

The horse runs fast. 
Yes and No are usually parsed as adverbs used inde- 
pendently. 
Classes. There are three classes of adverbs. 

1. A Simple Adverb is one which merely modifies the 

word or group of words to which it belongs. 
She sang sweetly. 

2. An Interrogative Adverb is an adverb which is used 

to introduce a question. The principal interroga- 
tive adverbs are how, where, when, and why. 
When will you come ? 

3. A Relative Adverb is an adverb which serves to con- 
nect a subordinate clause with a principal clause. It is some- 

166 



ADVERBS 167 

times difficult to distinguish between relative adverbs and 
pure conjunctions. See page 190. The principal relative 
adverbs are where, when, why, how, while, and as. 

I will go when he comes. 
In many instances the same word may be used as either an 
interrogative or a relative adverb. For the adverbial ac- 
cusative see page 32. 

Meaning. According to their meaning adverbs are divided 
into several classes. 

Time: soon, always, never. 
Manner: slowly, well, fast. 
Place : here, there, up, down. 
Degree : very, little, much. 
Comparison. Adverbs, like adjectives, are usually com- 
pared by adding -er and -est to the positive form, or by pre- 
fixing more and most to the positive form, 
early earlier earliest 

cheerfully more cheerfully most cheerfully 

A few adverbs are irregularly compared. 

ill worse worst 

well better best 

much more most 

little less least 

Such adverbs as hardly, scarcely, only, and but are in 
themselves negatives and hence should not be preceded by 
not. 

Wrong: He could not hardly lift his hand. 
Right : He could hardly lift his hand. 
Care should also be taken to distinguish between real (ad- 
jective) and really (adverb), and between most and almost. 
Parsing. In parsing an adverb, tell : 

1. its class — simple, interrogative, relative. 

2. Its meaning — time, manner, place, degree. 

3. Its degree of comparison. 



1 68 ADVERBS 

4. What it modifies. 
Thus, — 

Why are they moving so slowly? 
Why is an interrogative adverb modifying are moving. So 
is a simple adverb of degree modifying slowly. Slowly is 
a simple adverb of manner in the positive degree ; it modi- 
fies are moving. 

Exercises, (a) Parse all the adverbs in the following 
sentences : 

1. How will it be when you have grown old? 

2. I do not know where you are going. 

3. He spoke to me twice and shouted quite roughly each 
time. 

4. Why did you hit him so hard ? 

5. He reached home three days before his friend left. 

6. I did not see her when she went away. 

7. Certainly you acted wisely in leaving before the storm 
began. 

8. It is very fortunate that so few men of criminal ten- 
dencies can be found here now. 

9. Slowly climbing the hill, the traveller reached a point 
where the view was magnificent. 

10. You have only wounded the lion, not killed him. 

11. He prayeth best who loveth best 

All things both great and small. — Coleridge. 

12. Forward, forward, let us range, 

Let the great world spin forever down the ringing 
groves of change. — Tennyson. 

(b) Parse all the adverbs in the following selections: 

1. " Rip Van Winkle," paragraph 3. 

2. " Christmas," paragraph 7. 

(c) Explain the mistakes in the use of the adverbs in the 
following sentences. Two of the sentences are correct. 



ADVERBS 169 

1. Douglass could hardly pass through the door as he was 
an unusual large man. 

2. He had not hardly left the room before he came rush- 
ing back. 

3. He was a really honest man in all his dealings. 

4. Westminster Abbey is a real interesting place to visit. 

5. Many boys behave very different at home from the 
way in which they behave at school. 

6. Although I looked through the telescope most care- 
fully, I could not see but one star. 

7. Cheap novels are most always poorly written. 

8. There wasn't scarcely a single person in the audience 
who did not rise to his feet at the signal. 

9. The miners couldn't hardly see two feet ahead of them, 
so dense was the smoke. 

10. He is most always late but usually gives some good 
excuse for his tardiness. 

11. I had not been there but a few minutes when my 
mother called me. 

12. Almost all real heroes are modest. 

13. Sir Launfal didn't give the beggar but a penny. 

14. The next lesson is one that can be learned easy. 

15. Most anybody can answer that question. 



XII 

CHRISTMAS DAY 

Dark and dull night, flie hence away, 
And give the honor to this day 
That sees December turn'd to May. 

Why does the chilling winter's morne 
Smile like a field beset with corn? 
Or smell like to a meade new-shorne, 
Thus on the sudden? — Come and see 
The cause why things thus fragrant be. 



— Herrick. 



i. When I woke the next morning, it seemed as if all the 
events of the preceding evening had been a dream, and nothing 
but the identity of the ancient chamber convinced me of their 
reality. While I lay musing on my pillow, I heard the sound 
of little feet pattering outside of the door, and a whispering 
consultation. Presently a choir of small voices chanted forth 
an old Christmas carol, the burden of which was — 

" Rejoice, our Saviour he was born 
On Christmas day in the morning. ,, 

2. I rose softly, slipt on my clothes, opened the door sud- 
denly, and beheld one of the most beautiful little fairy groups 
that a painter could imagine. It consisted of a boy and two 
girls, the eldest not more than six, and lovely as seraphs. They 
were going the rounds of the house, and singing at every cham- 
ber-door ; but my sudden appearance frightened them into mute 
bashfulness. They remained for a moment playing on their 
lips with their fingers, and now and then stealing a shy glance 
from under their eyebrows, until, as if by one impulse, they 

170 



CHRISTMAS DAY 171 

scampered away, and as they turned an angle of the gallery, 
I heard them laughing in triumph at their escape. 

3. Everything conspired to produce kind and happy feelings 
in this stronghold of old-fashioned hospitality. The window of 
my chamber looked out upon what in summer would have been 
a beautiful landscape. There was a sloping lawn, a fine stream 
winding at the foot of it, and a tract of park beyond, with noble 
clumps of trees, and herds of deer. At a distance was a neat 
hamlet, with the smoke from the cottage-chimneys hanging over 
it ; and a church with its dark spire in strong relief against the 
clear, cold sky. The house was surrounded with evergreens, ac- 
cording to the English custom, which would have given almost 
an appearance of summer ; but the morning was extremely frosty ; 
the light vapor of the preceding evening had been precipitated by 
the cold, and covered all the trees and every blade of grass with 
its fine crystallizations. The rays of a bright morning sun had 
a dazzling effect among the glittering foliage. A robin, perched 
upon the top of a mountain-ash that hung its clusters of red 
berries just before my window, was basking himself in the sun- 
shine, and piping a few querulous notes ; and a peacock was dis- 
playing all the glories of his train, and strutting with the 
pride and gravity of a Spanish grandee, 1 on the terrace walk 
below. 

4. I had scarcely dressed myself, when a servant appeared 
to invite me to family prayers. He showed me the way to a 
small chapel in the old wing of the house, where I found the 
principal part of the family already assembled in a kind of 
gallery, furnished with cushions, hassocks, and large prayer- 
books; the servants were seated on benches below. The old 
gentleman read prayers from a desk in front of the gallery, and 
Master Simon acted as clerk, and made the responses; and I 
must do him the justice to say that he acquitted himself with 
great gravity and decorum. 

5. The service was followed by a Christmas carol, which 
Mr. Bracebridge himself had constructed from a poem of his 
favorite author, Herrick; and it had been adapted to an old 

1 Spanish grandee : Spanish nobleman. 



172 CHRISTMAS DAY 

church-melody by Master Simon. As there were several good 
voices among the household, the effect was extremely pleasing ; 
but I was particularly gratified by the exaltation of heart, and 
sudden sally of grateful feeling, with which the worthy Squire 
delivered one stanza; his eye glistening, and his voice rambling 
out of all the bounds of time and tune : 

" Tis thou that crown'st my glittering hearth 
With guiltless mirth, 
And givest me Wassaile bowles 2 to drink 

Spiced to the brink; 
Lord, 'tis thy plenty-dropping hand 

That soiles my land; 
And giv'st me for my bushell sowne, 
Twice ten for one." 

6. I afterwards understood that early morning service was 
read on every Sunday and saint's day throughout the year, 
either by Mr. Bracebridge or by some member of the family. 
It was once almost universally the case at the seats of the 
nobility and gentry of England, and it is much to be regretted 
that the custom is falling into neglect; for the dullest observer 
must be sensible of the order and serenity prevalent in those 
households, where the occasional exercise of a beautiful form 
of worship in the morning gives, as it were, the keynote to 
every temper for the day, and attunes every spirit to harmony. 

7. Our breakfast consisted of what the Squire denominated 
true old English fare. He indulged in some bitter lamenta- 
tions over modern breakfasts of tea and toast, which he cen- 
sured as among the causes of modern effeminacy and weak 
nerves, and the decline of old English heartiness; and though 
he admitted them to his table to suit the palates of his guests, 
yet there was a brave display of cold meats, wine, and ale, on 
the sideboard. 

8. After breakfast I walked about the grounds with Frank 
Bracebridge and Master Simon, or, Mr. Simon, as he was 
called by everybody but the Squire. We were escorted by a 
number of gentlemanlike dogs, that seemed loungers about the 

2 Wassaile bowles: Wassail bowls. The spelling of the old songs 
quoted in these essays is old English. The making of Wassail is ex- 
plained in paragraph 10, " Christmas Dinner." 



CHRISTMAS DAY 173 

establishment, from the frisking spaniel to the steady old stag- 
hound, — the last of which was of a race that had been in the 
family time out of mind; they were all obedient to a dog- whistle 
which hung to Master Simon's button-hole, and in the midst of 
their gambols would glance an eye occasionally upon a small 
switch he carried in his hand. 

9. The old mansion had a still more venerable look in the 
yellow sunshine than by pale moonlight; and I could not but 
feel the force of the Squire's idea, that the formal terraces, 
heavily moulded balustrades, and clipped yew-trees carried with 
them an air of proud aristocracy. There appeared to be an 
unusual number of peacocks about the place, and I was making 
some remarks upon what I termed a flock of them, that were 
basking under a sunny wall, when I was gently corrected in 
my phraseology by Master Simon, who told me that, according 
to the most ancient and approved treatise on hunting, I must say 
a muster of peacocks. " In the same way," added he, with a 
slight air of pedantry, " we say a flight of doves or swallows, a 
bevy of quails, a herd of deer, of wrens, or cranes, a skulk of 
foxes, or a building of rooks." He went on to inform me that, 
according to Sir Anthony Fitzherbert, we ought to ascribe to 
this bird " both understanding and glory ; for, being praised, he 
will presently set up his tail, chiefly against the sun, to the intent 
you may the better behold the beauty thereof. But at the fall of 
the leaf, when his tail falleth, he will mourn and hide himself in 
corners, till his tail come again as it was." 

10. I could not help smiling- at this display of small erudition 
on so whimsical a subject; but I found that the peacocks were 
birds of some consequence at the hall; for Frank Bracebridge 
informed me that they were great favorites with his father, 
who was extremely careful to keep up the breed; partly be- 
cause they belonged to chivalry, and were in great request at the 
stately banquets of the olden time, and partly because they had 
a pomp and magnificence about them, highly becoming an old 
family mansion. Nothing, he was accustomed to say, had an 
air of greater state and dignity than a peacock perched upon an 
antique stone balustrade. 



174 CHRISTMAS DAY 

ii. Master Simon had now to hurry off, having an appointment 
at the parish church with the village choristers, who were to 
perform some music of his selection. There was something 
extremely agreeable in the cheerful flow of animal spirits of the 
little man; and I confess I had been somewhat surprised at his 
apt quotations from authors who certainly were not in the range 
of every-day reading. I mentioned this last circumstance to 
Frank Bracebridge, who told me with a smile that Master 
Simon's whole stock of erudition was confined to some half a 
dozen old authors, which the Squire had put into his hands, and 
which he read over and over, whenever he had a studious fit; 
as he sometimes had on a rainy day, or a long winter evening. 
Sir Anthony Fitzherbert's Book of Husbandry; Markham's 
Country Contentments; the Tretyse of Hunting, by Sir Thomas 
Cockayne, Knight; 3 Izaak Walton's Angler / and two or three 
more such ancient worthies of the pen, were his standard au- 
thorities ; and, like all men who know but a few books, he looked 
up to them with a kind of idolatry, and quoted them on all oc- 
casions. As to his songs, they were chiefly picked out of old 
books in the Squire's library, and adapted to tunes that were 
popular among the choice spirits of the last century. His prac- 
tical application of scraps of literature, however, had caused him 
to be looked upon as a prodigy of book-knowledge by all the 
grooms, huntsmen, and small sportsmen of the neighborhood. 

12. While we were talking we heard the distant tolling of 
the village-bell, and I was told that the Squire was a little par- 
ticular in having his household at church on a Christmas morn- 
ing, considering it a day of pouring out of thanks and rejoicing; 
for, as old Tusser observed, 

" At Christmas be merry, and thankful withal, 
And feast thy poor neighbors, the great with the small." 

13. " If you are disposed to go to church," said Frank Brace- 

3 Fitzherbert . . . Markham . . . Cockayne: English writers on 
country life. Their works are scarcely read to-day. 

4 Izaak Walton's Angler: Izaak Walton's name is the only one of 
the group of writers here mentioned which retains a place in English 
literature. 



CHRISTMAS DAY 175 

bridge, " I can promise you a specimen of my cousin Simon's 
musical achievements. As the church is destitute of an organ, 
he has formed a band from the village amateurs, and established 
a musical club for their improvement ; he has also sorted a choir, 
as he sorted my father's pack of hounds, according to the direc- 
tions of Jervaise Markham, in his Country Contentments; for 
the bass he has sought out all the ' deep, solemn mouths/ and for 
the tenor the ' loud-ringing mouths/ among the country bump- 
kins ; and for ' sweet mouths ' he has culled with curious taste 
among the prettiest lasses in the neighborhood; though these 
last, he affirms, are the most difficult to keep in tune ; your pretty 
female singer being exceedingly wayward and capricious, and 
very liable to accident." 

14. As the morning, though frosty, was remarkably fine and 
clear, the most of the family walked to the church, which was 
a very old building of gray stone, and stood near a village, 
about half a mile from the park-gate. Adjoining it was a low 
snug parsonage, which seemed coeval with the church. The 
front of it was perfectly matted with a yew-tree, that had been 
trained against its walls, through the dense foliage of which, 
apertures had been formed to admit light into the small antique 
lattices. As we passed this sheltered nest, the parson issued 
forth and preceded us. 

15. I had expected to see a sleek, well-conditioned pastor, 
such as is often found in a snug living in the vicinity of a rich 
patron's table; but I was disappointed. The parson was a 
little, meagre, black-looking man, with a grizzled wig that was 
too wide, and stood off from each ear ; so that his head seemed 
to have shrunk away within it, like a dried filbert in its shell. 
He wore a rusty coat, with great skirts, and pockets that would 
have held the church Bible and prayer-book: and his small 
legs seemed still smaller, from being planted in large shoes, 
decorated with enormous buckles. 

16. I was informed by Frank Bracebridge, that the parson 
had been a chum of his father's at Oxford, and had received 
this living 5 shortly after the latter had come to his estate. 

5 Living: In England most of the larger estates had parsonages in 
connection with them, and the parson was supported by the landlord. 



176 CHRISTMAS DAY 

He was a complete black-letter hunter, and would scarcely 
read a work printed in the Roman character. The editions 
of Caxton and Wynkin de Worde 6 were his delight; and he 
was indefatigable in his researches after such old English 
writers as have fallen into oblivion from their worthlessness. 
In deference, perhaps, to the notions of Mr. Bracebridge, he 
had made diligent investigations into the festive rites and holi- 
day customs of former times; and had been as zealous in the 
inquiry as if he had been a boon companion ; but it was merely 
with that plodding spirit with which men of adust temperament 
follow up any track of study, merely because it is denominated 
learning ; indifferent to its intrinsic nature, whether it be the 
illustration of the wisdom, or of the ribaldry and obscenity of 
antiquity. He had pored over these old volumes so intensely, 
that they seemed to have been reflected in his countenance; 
which, if the face be indeed an index of the mind, might be 
compared to a title-page of black-letter. 

17. On reaching the church-porch, we found the parson re- 
buking the gray-headed sexton for having used mistletoe among 
the greens with which the church was decorated. It was, he 
observed, an unholy plant, profaned by having been used by 
the Druids 7 in their mystic ceremonies ; and though it might 
be innocently employed in the festive ornamenting of halls and 
kitchens, yet it had been deemed by the Fathers of the Church 
as unhallowed and totally unfit for sacred purposes. So tena- 
cious was he on this point, that the poor sexton was obliged to 
strip down a great part of the humble trophies of his taste, before 
the parson would consent to enter upon the service of the day. 

18. The interior of the church was venerable but simple; 
on the walls were several mural monuments of the Bracebridges, 
and just beside the altar was a tomb of ancient workmanship, 
on which lay the effigy of a warrior in armor, with his legs 
crossed, a sign of his having been a Crusader. I was told it 
was one of the family who had signalized himself in the Holy 

6 Caxton and Wynkin de Worde: Early English printers. 

7 Druids: Priests of the early British religion. They offered 
human sacrifices. 



CHRISTMAS DAY 177 

Land, and the same whose picture hung over the fireplace in 
the hall. 

19. During service, Master Simon stood up in the pew, and 
repeated the responses very audibly ; evincing that kind of cere- 
monious devotion punctually observed by a gentleman of the old 
school, and a man of old family connections. I observed, too, 
that he turned over the leaves of a folio prayer-book with some- 
thing of a flourish; possibly to show off an enormous seal-ring 
which enriched one of his fingers, and which had the look of a 
family relic. But he was evidently most solicitous about the 
musical part of the service, keeping his eye fixed intently on the 
choir, and beating time with much gesticulation and emphasis. 

20. The orchestra was in a small gallery, and presented a 
most whimsical grouping of heads, piled one above the other, 
among which I particularly noticed that of the village tailor, 
a pale fellow with a retreating forehead and chin, who played 
on the clarionet, and seemed to have blown his face to a point; 
and there was another, a short pursy man, stooping and labor- 
ing at a bass-viol, so as to show nothing but the top of a round 
bald head, like the egg of an ostrich. There were two or three 
pretty faces among the female singers, to which the keen air 
of a frosty morning had given a bright rosy tint ; but the gentle- 
men choristers had evidently been chosen, like old Cremona 
fiddles, 8 more for tone than looks; and as several had to sing 
from the same book, there were clusterings of odd physiognomies, 
not unlike those groups of cherubs we sometimes see on country 
tombstones. 

21. The usual services of the choir were managed tolerably 
well, the vocal parts generally lagging a little behind the in- 
strumental, and some loitering fiddler now and then making up 
for lost time by travelling over a passage with prodigious 
celerity, and clearing more bars than the keenest fox-hunter 
to be in at the death. But the great trial was an anthem that 
had been prepared and arranged by Master Simon, and on 
which he had founded great. expectation. Unluckily there was 
a blunder at the very outset; the musicians became flurried; 

8 Cremona fiddles: Violins made in Cremona, Italy. 



178 CHRISTMAS DAY 

Master Simon was in a fever; everything went on lamely and 
irregularly until they came to a chorus beginning, " Now let 
us sing with one accord/' which seemed to be a signal for 
parting company : all became discord and confusion ; each shifted 
for himself, and got to the end as well, or, rather, as soon as 
he could, excepting one old chorister in a pair of horn spectacles, 
bestriding and pinching a long sonorous nose ; who happened to 
stand a little apart, and, being wrapped up in his own melody, 
kept on a quavering course, wriggling his head, ogling his book, 
and winding all up by a nasal solo of at least three bars' duration. 

22. The parson gave us a most erudite sermon on the rites 
and ceremonies of Christmas, and the propriety of observing it 
not merely as a day of thanksgiving, but of rejoicing; support- 
ing the correctness of his opinions by the earliest usages of the 
church, and enforcing them by the authorities of Theophilus of 
Cesarea, St. Cyprian, St. Chrysostom, St. Augustine, and a cloud 
more of saints and fathers, from whom he made copious quota- 
tions. I was a little at a loss to perceive the necessity of such a 
mighty array of forces to maintain a point which no one present 
seemed inclined to dispute; but I soon found that the good man 
had a legion of ideal adversaries to contend with; having, in 
the course of his researches on the subject of Christmas, got 
completely embroiled in the sectarian controversies of the Revo- 
lution, when the Puritans made such a fierce assault upon the 
ceremonies of the church, and poor old Christmas was driven 
out of the land by proclamation of Parliament. The worthy 
parson lived but with times past, and knew but little of the 
present. 

23. Shut up among worm-eaten tomes in the retirement of 
his antiquated little study, the pages of old times were to him 
as the gazettes of the day; while the era of the Revolution was 
mere modern history. He forgot that nearly two centuries had 
elapsed since the fiery persecution of poor mince-pie throughout 
the land ; when plum-porridge was denounced as " mere pop- 
ery," and roast-beef as anti-Christian; and that Christmas had 
been brought in again triumphantly with the merry court of 
King Charles at the Restoration. He kindled into warmth with 



CHRISTMAS DAY 179 

the ardor of his contest, and the host of imaginary foes with 
whom he had to combat; he had a stubborn conflict with old 
Prynne and two or three other forgotten champions of the 
Round Heads 9 on the subject of Christmas festivity; and con- 
cluded by urging his hearers, in the most solemn and affecting 
manner, to stand to the traditional customs of their fathers, and 
feast and make merry on this joyful aniversary of the Church. 

24. I have seldom known a sermon attended apparently with 
more immediate effects ; for on leaving the church the congre- 
gation seemed one and all possessed with the gayety of spirit so 
earnestly enjoined by their pastor. The elder folks gathered 
in knots in the churchyard, greeting and shaking hands; and 
the children ran about crying Ule ! Ule ! and repeating some 
uncouth rhymes,* which the parson, who had joined us, informed 
me had been handed down from days of yore. The villagers 
doffed their hats to the Squire as he passed, giving him the good 
wishes of the season with every appearance of heartfelt sin- 
cerity, and were invited by him to the hall, to take something to 
keep out the cold of the weather; and I heard blessings uttered 
by several of the poor, which convinced me that, in the midst of 
his enjoyments, the worthy old cavalier had not forgotten the 
true Christmas virtue of charity. 

25. On our way homeward his heart seemed overflowed with 
generous and happy feelings. As we passed over a rising 
ground which commanded something of a prospect, the sounds 
of rustic merriment now and then reached our ears ; the Squire 
paused for a few moments, and looked around with an air of 
inexpressible benignity. The beauty of the day was of itself 
sufficient to inspire philanthropy. Notwithstanding the frosti- 
ness of the morning, the sun in his cloudless journey had ac- 
quired sufficient power to melt away the thin covering of snow 
from every southern declivity, and to bring out the living green 

*" Ule ! Ule ! 

Three puddings in a pule, 
Crack nuts and cry ule ! " 

[Irving's note.] 
9 Round Heads: The Puritans. 



180 CHRISTMAS DAY 

which adorns an English landscape even in midwinter. Large 
tracts of smiling verdure contrasted with the dazzling whiteness 
of the shaded slopes and hollows. Every sheltered bank, on 
which the broad rays rested, yielded its silver rill of cold and 
limpid water, glittering through the dripping grass; and sent 
up slight exhalations to contribute to the thin haze that hung 
just above the surface of the earth. There was something truly 
cheering in this triumph of warmth and verdure over the frosty 
thraldom of winter; it was, as the Squire observed, an emblem 
of Christmas hospitality, breaking through the chills of cere- 
mony and selfishness, and thawing every heart into a flow. He 
pointed with pleasure to the indications of good cheer reeking 
from the chimneys of the comfortable farm-houses and low 
thatched cottages. " I love/' said he, " to see this day well kept 
by rich and poor; it is a great thing to have one day in the year, 
at least, when you are sure of being welcome wherever you go, 
and of having, as it were, the world all thrown open to you; 
and I am almost disposed to join with Poor Robin, in his male- 
diction on every churlish enemy to this honest festival, — 

" Those who at Christmas do repine 
And would fain hence dispatch him, 
May they with old Duke Humphry dine, 10 
Or else may Squire Ketch n catch 'em." 

26, The Squire went on to lament the deplorable decay of 
the games and amusements which were once prevalent at this 
season among the lower orders, and countenanced by the higher ; 
when the old halls of the castles and manor-houses were thrown 
open at daylight; when the tables were covered with brawn, and 
beef, and humming ale; when the harp and the carol resounded 
all day long., and when rich and poor were alike welcome to 
enter and make merry :* " Our old games and local customs," 

* " An English gentleman, at the opening of the great day, i. e. on 
Christmas day in the morning, had all his tenants and neighbors enter 
his hall by daybreak. The strong beer was broached, and the black- 

10 Dine with Duke Humphry: An old saying, meaning to do with- 
out dinner. 
11 Squire Ketch: The public hangman. 



CHRISTMAS DAY 181 

said he, lt had a great effect in making the peasant fond of his 
home, and the promotion of them by the gentry made him fond 
of his lord. They made the times merrier, and kinder, and 
better, and I can truly say, with one of our old poets, — 



« t 



I like them well — the curious preciseness 
And all-pretended gravity of those 
That seek to banish hence these harmless sports 
Have thrust away much ancient honesty/' 

27. " The nation," continued he, " is altered ; we have almost 
lost our simple true-hearted peasantry. They have broken 
asunder from the higher classes, and seem to think their inter- 
ests are separate. They have become too knowing, and begin 
to read newspapers, listen to ale-house politicians, and talk of 
reform. I think one mode to keep them in good-humor in these 
hard times would be for the nobility and gentry to pass more 
time on their estates, mingle more among the country people, 
and set the merry old English games going again." 

28. Such was the good Squire's project for mitigating public 
discontent: and, indeed, he had once attempted to put his doc- 
trine in practice, and a few years before had kept open house 
during the holidays in the old style. The country people, how- 
ever, did not understand how to play their parts in the scene 
of hospitality ; many uncouth circumstances occurred ; the manor 
was overrun by all the vagrants of the country, and more beg- 
gars drawn into the neighborhood in one week than the parish 
officers could get rid of in a year. Since then, he had contented 
himself with inviting the decent part of the neighboring peasan- 
try to call at the hall on Christmas day, and with*distributing beef, 
and bread, and ale, among the poor, that they might make merry 
in their own dwellings. 

29. We had not been long home when the sound of music 

jacks were plentifully about with toast, sugar and nutmeg, and good 
Cheshire cheese. The Hackin (the great sausage) must be boiled by 
day-break, or else two young men must take the maiden (i. e. the 
cook) by the arms, and run her round the market-place till she is 
shamed of her laziness." — Round about our Sea-Coal Fire. [Irving' s 
note J 



I&2 CHRISTMAS DAY 

was heard from a distance. A band of country lads, without 
coats, their shirt-sleeves fancifully tied with ribbons ; their hats 
decorated with greens, and clubs in their hands, was seen ad- 
vancing up the avenue, followed by a large number of villagers 
and peasantry. They stopped before the hall-door, where the 
music struck up a peculiar air, and the lads performed a curious 
and intricate dance, advancing, retreating, and striking their 
clubs together, keeping exact time to the music; while one, 
whimsically crowned with a fox's skin, the tail of which flaunted 
down his back, kept capering round the skirts of the dance, and 
rattling a Christmas box with many antic gesticulations. 

30. The Squire eyed this fanciful exhibition with great in- 
terest and delight, and gave me a full account of its origin, 
which he traced to the times when the Romans held possession 
of the island; plainly proving that this was a lineal descendant 
of the sword-dance of the ancients. " It was now," he said, 
" nearly extinct, but he had accidentally met with traces of it in 
the neighborhood, and had encouraged its revival; though, to 
tell the truth, it was too apt to be followed up by the rough 
cudgel play, and broken heads in the evening." 

31. After the dance was concluded, the whole party was en- 
tertained with brawn and beef, and stout home-brewed. The 
Squire himself mingled among the rustics, and was received with 
awkward demonstrations of deference and regard. It is true 
I perceived two or three of the younger peasants, as they were 
raising their tankards to their mouths, when the Squire's 
back was turned, making something of a grimace, and giving 
each other the wink; but the moment they caught my 
eye they pulled grave faces, and were exceedingly demure. 
With Master Simon, however, they all seemed more at their 
ease. His varied occupations and amusements had made him 
well known throughout the neighborhood. He was a visitor 
at every farm-house and cottage ; gossiped with the farmers and 
their wives; romped with their daughters; and, like that type of 
a vagrant bachelor, the humblebee, tolled the sweets from all 
the rosy lips of the country round. 



CHRISTMAS DAY 183 

32. The bashfulness of the guests soon gave way before 
good cheer and affability. There is something genuine and 
affectionate in the gayety of the lower orders, when it is excited 
by the bounty and familiarity of those above them; the warm 
glow of gratitude enters into their mirth, and a kind word or 
a small pleasantry frankly uttered by a patron, gladdens the 
heart of the dependent more than oil and wine. When the 
Squire had retired, the merriment increased, and there was much 
joking and laughter, particularly between Master Simon and 
a hale, ruddy-faced, white-headed farmer, who appeared to be 
the wit of the village ; for I observed all his companions to wait 
with open mouths for his retorts, and burst into a gratuitous 
laugh before they could well understand them. 

33. The whole house indeed seemed abandoned to merri- 
ment: as I passed to my room to dress for dinner, I heard the 
sound of music in a small court, and, looking through a window 
that commanded it, I perceived a band of wandering musicians, 
with pandean pipes and tambourine; a pretty coquettish house- 
maid was dancing a jig with a smart country lad, while several 
of the other servants were looking on. In the midst of her sport 
the girl caught a glimpse of my face at the window, and, coloring 
up, ran off with an air of roguish affected confusion. 

CHRISTMAS DAY 
Class Discussion 

Take a slip of paper and make a list of the several things 
done by the guests in the course of the day. Do you find 
that the country people of England spent the day very differ- 
ently from the way we observe it ? What new facts do you 
learn about the character of Master Simon? What sort of 
person is the parson? Describe his character in a dozen 
words. 

Does paragraph 20 suggest to you a comic picture of an 
orchestra? Is Irving's description true to life? 



1 84 CHRISTMAS DAY 

What new information do you get concerning the Squire's 
ideas of country life? 

Write a letter to a friend comparing an English Christ- 
mas with an American Christmas. 



XIII 

PREPOSITIONS, CONJUNCTIONS, AND 
INTERJECTIONS 

PREPOSITIONS 

Definition. A preposition is a word used to show the 
relation between a noun or pronoun, called its object, and 
some other word in the sentence. Phrases formed by a 
preposition and its object may be used as adjectives or as 
adverbs. 

The load of hay fell from the wagon. 
The phrase of hay modifies load and thus has the force of 
# an adjective; the phrase from the wagon modifies' fell and 
thus acts as an adverb. 

Among the prepositions most frequently used are the fol- 
lowing : 

about between off 

above by on 

across down over 

after during since 

anjong except till 

at for to 

before from under 

behind in with 

below into without 

beside of 

Care should be taken to distinguish between prepositions 
and adverbs of the same form; when prepositions are used 
without an object they have the function of adverbs. 

185 



1 86 PREPOSITIONS, CONJUNCTIONS, INTERJECTIONS 

I was standing by. (adverb) 
I was standing by the wall, (preposition) 
The preposition usually precedes its object; it may, how- 
ever, be placed at the end of a relative clause. 

You are the man for whom I am looking. 

You are the man whom I am looking for. 

When placed at the end of the clause the preposition may 

often be regarded as belonging to the verb rather than to the 

noun or pronoun. See the preceding paragraph. 

Errors in the Use of Prepositions. Be careful to use the 
preposition which expresses your meaning accurately and 
exactly. Do not confuse in with into, or between with 
among. Into has reference to motion toward the inside of 
a thing. " He walked in the room,'' means that he walked 
up and down within the room. " He walked into the room," 
means that he entered the room from the outside. 

Between refers to two persons or things ; among to more 
than two. 

He divided the apple between the boy and the girl. 
He divided the apple among the three children. 
Do not omit the preposition, except in the case of such 
expressions as last night, next year, to-morrow, etc. 
Wrong: I am home on my vacation. 
Right : I am at home on my vacation. 
Right : He will leave to-morrow. 
Right: He will leave on Monday. 
Like is a preposition and is incorrectly used to introduce 
a clause. It is correctly used when it takes a noun or pro- 
noun for its object. 

Wrong : He makes his gestures like I do. 
Right: He makes his gestures as I do. 
Right: James, like his brother, was ambitious. 
Than is not a preposition, but is a subordinate conjunc- 
tion. A noun or pronoun which immediately follows than 



PREPOSITIONS, CONJUNCTIONS, INTERJECTIONS 187 

is therefore not necessarily in the accusative case; its case 
depends upon its construction in the sentence. 
Wrong : She is older than me. 
Right: She is older than I (am). 
Right: I can direct her better than he (can direct 

her). 
Right : I can direct her better than (I can direct) him. 
Of should never be used for have in such forms as might 
have, could have, etc. 

Wrong : He could of caught the ball if he had tried. 
Of should be omitted after off and after such words as 
all and both when they modify nouns. 
Wrong : Get off of the floor. 
Right : Get off the floor. 
Wrong: He was absent from all of his classes. 
Right : He was absent from all his classes. 
To is omitted after such words as near and opposite. 
Wrong : His store was opposite to the court-house. 
Right: His store was opposite the court-house. 
Beside should not be used for besides in the sense of " in 
addition to." 

Right : An oak was growing beside the brook. 
Wrong : No one was there beside the teacher and me. 
Right : No one was there besides the teacher and me. 
Except is a preposition and should not be confused with 
the conjunction unless. 

Wrong : No one should try to enter except he has per- 
mission. 
Right : No one should try to enter unless he has per- 
mission. 
Exercises, (a) Select all the prepositions in the first 
ten paragraphs of " Christmas Day." Point out the words 
to which they belong and tell whether the phrases are used 
as adjectives or as adverbs. 



188 PREPOSITIONS, CONJUNCTIONS, INTERJECTIONS 

(b) Correct all mistakes in the use of prepositions in the 
following sentences. Two of the sentences are correct. 

i. When the door opened, two children walked in the 
room. 

2. No one seems to think like I do about Rip Van Winkle. 

3. The bird flew like it had a broken wing. 

4. He is taller than me but I am older than him. 

5. When I fired among the birds, three of them fell and 
the rest flew in a tree. 

6. I always go to church Sunday like a church member 
ought to do. 

7. The property was divided between the two children. 

8. We carried the wounded soldier in the house and bound 
up his wounds like the nurses do. 

9. He never comes to see me now like he used to do be- 
fore we quarrelled. 

10. I could see you better than she, for her eyes were still 
dazzled by the bright light. 

11. The children scrambled off of the fence and ran to 
meet their father. 

12. He might of learned to write like I do if he had tried. 

13. A large red gate was opposite to the barn door. 

14. No one beside you and me knew the secret. 

15. After feeling of the cloth for a few minutes the cus- 
tomer refused to buy it. 

16. All of the students are requested to meet in Page Hall 
to-night. 

17. The witness recognized both of the men instantly. 

18. I shall oppose you even if you are much stronger 
than me. 

19. She was no better bred nor richer than you or me. 

20. All of the rooms are for rent. 



PREPOSITIONS, CONJUNCTIONS, INTERJECTIONS 189 

CONJUNCTIONS 

Definition. A conjunction is a word that connects words 
of groups of words. They are divided into two principal 
classes — Coordinate and Subordinate Conjunctions. 

Coordinate Conjunctions. Coordinate conjunctions con- 
nect words or groups of words of equal rank. 
He is tall and strong. 
The wind blows and the rain falls. 
The most common coordinate conjunctions are and, but, or, 
therefore, however, hence, that, for, and so. 

Since the clauses which are connected by coordinate con- 
junctions must be of equal rank, it follows that such con- 
junctions should not be used to connect a relative clause with 
a principal clause. They may, however, be used to con- 
nect a relative clause with another relative clause. 

Wrong: His father sent him a large sum of money, 

but which he soon spent. 
Right: His father sent him a large sum of money 

which he soon spent. 
Right: His father sent him a large sum of money 

but he soon spent it. 
Right: His father sent him a large sum of money 
which he should have used sparingly but 
which he soon spent. 
Subordinate Conjunctions. Subordinate con j unctions 
connect groups of words of unequal rank, so that one be- 
comes dependent upon the other. The subordinate conjunc- 
tions indicate the relation which the subordinate clause 
bears to the principal clause; these relations may be those 
of time, place, cause, condition, concession, purpose, result, 
comparison, etc. 

Time: The whistle will blow before the train starts. 
Cause : He stole the loaf because he was hungry. 



190 PREPOSITIONS, CONJUNCTIONS, INTERJECTIONS 

Condition : // ye love me, keep my commandments. 
Concession: Though the water was very cold, he 

plunged in. 
Purpose: I went to the gallery in order that I might see 

the picture. 
Comparison : He is heavier than I. 

The most common subordinate conjunctions are as, as if, 
because, before, except, if, since, so that, than, that, though, 
unless, until, while. It will be noticed that sometimes two 
or three words are joined to make a single conjunction. It 
is often difficult to distinguish between subordinate conjunc- 
tions and relative adverbs. See page 167. As in the case 
of other parts of speech, it is the use to which the conjunc- 
tion is put, and not its form, which determines its class. 
Thus the word so may be either coordinate or subordinate, 
according to its use. 
Coordinate: The cups did not match; so she sent them 

back. 
Subordinate: It matters not who he is, so he can do the 
work. 
Correlative Conjunctions. Certain conjunctions, such 
as either . . . or, neither . . . nor, both . . . and, not only 
. . . but also, and whether . . . or, are used in pairs. 
These are called correlative conjunctions. In using correla- 
tive conjunctions care must be taken to see that each con- 
junction is followed by the same part of speech. 

Wrong : He was both ready to play and work. 

Right : He was ready both to play and to work. 

Wrong: I am willing neither to give you work nor 
money. 

Right: I am willing to give you neither work nor 
money. 
Both does not modify ready but to play; in like manner 
neither has reference not to give but to work. 



PREPOSITIONS, CONJUNCTIONS, INTERJECTIONS 19 1 

Note also that neither should be followed by nor, and that 
either and both have reference to only two objects or per- 
sons. 

Wrong: Neither he or she came back. 
Right: Neither he nor she came back. 
Wrong: Washington was both first in war, first in 
peace, and first in the hearts of his country- 
men. 
Right: Washington was first in war, first in peace, 

and first in the hearts of his countrymen. 
Right : Washington was both a general and a states- 
man. 
When the subject of a sentence is compounded with 
neither . . . nor or with either . . . or, the verb agrees with 
the second member. 

Wrong: Neither the man nor the woman were present. 
Right : Neither the man nor the woman was present. 
Right: Neither the king nor his men were able to 
fight. 
Parsing. In parsing a conjunction give its : 

1. Class — coordinate, subordinate, or correlative. 

2. Use. 

Exercises, (a) Find in " Christmas Day " ten co- 
ordinate conjunctions, ten subordinate conjunctions, and 
five correlative conjunctions. 

(b) Parse all the conjunctions in the following selections : 

1. " Christmas Eve," paragraph 17. 

2. " Christmas Day," paragraphs 24 and 29. 

(c) Correct all mistakes in the use of conjunctions in the 
following sentences, giving your reason for each correction. 
Two of the sentences are correct. 

1. Neither the baron or his guests suspected that the 
stranger was not the bridegroom. 



192 PREPOSITIONS, CONJUNCTIONS, INTERJECTIONS 

2. The aunts were very strict both in respect to religion, 
conduct, and deportment. 

3. My father owned a large plantation and on which he 
kept many slaves. 

4. The rules forbid the runner either from jumping over 
an opponent or a member of his own team. 

5. He submitted three propositions, neither of which was 
accepted. 

6. The track was not only destroyed but also the telegraph 
poles which were on either side of the track. 

7. A book, a baseball, or a pair of gloves — either will do 
for my Christmas present. 

8. Neither coach nor player are able to do their best under 
such circumstances. 

9. He expressed himself as both ready to attend the meet- 
ing and to speak in behalf of the bill. 

10. I had a class-mate with a remarkable memory but who 
could not be depended upon to do his work regularly. 

11. He neither received the medal nor his diploma. 

12. The paper has not only insulted me but my friends 
also. 

13. Gareth, a youth of noble birth but who had been a 
kitchen servant in Arthur's court, was given the quest. 

14. Neither the company or any of its agents have power 
to change this contract., 

15. You must either go or stay — there is no other course 
possible. 

16. The king sent three messengers, though either of them 
would have been sufficient. 

17. She is neither like you nor her mother. 

18. Neither John nor James are here; they should either 
have come or have notified us that they could not come. 

19. Neither the lad nor his playmates were allowed to en- 
ter the yard. 



PREPOSITIONS, CONJUNCTIONS, INTERJECTIONS 193 

20. The company furnished a library for its employees but 
which few of them used. 

INTERJECTIONS 

Definition. An interjection is a word or group of words 
used to express strong or sudden feeling. Interjections are 
used independently of the other words in the sentence and 
are usually set off from them by an exclamation point. 

" Ah ! " he cried, " you have come." 

" Alas the day ! " she moaned, " that ever I saw thee." 
Many words that ordinarily are used as other parts of speech 
may be used as interjections; whole sentences may even be 
so used. 

Nonsense! there is nothing the matter with you. 

You! what are you doing here? 

See! See! the king is coming. 

Good! victory is now assured. 

What ! you do not know where he is ? 

You don't say so ! 
Parenthetical Expressions. Certain words or groups of 
words are sometimes inserted in a sentence without having 
any direct connection with it. These are called parenthet- 
ical expressions and should be parsed as independent ele- 
ments. 

His name, in fact, had not been called. 

You are, / suppose, ready to go ? 

The town, indeed, had already elected its mayor. 
Expletives. Certain words usually classed as pronouns 
or adverbs are often used in a purely introductory sense and 
are then called Expletives. 

There were but few who lived to tell the tale. 
Parsing. Parse all the prepositions, conjunctions, and 
interjections in the following exercise. Point out any in- 
dependent elements that you may see. 



194 PREPOSITIONS, CONJUNCTIONS, INTERJECTIONS 

i. Beyond the Alps lies Italy. 

2. If I tell you, you will not believe. 

3. The bird flew into the tree before I was ready to fire. 

4. Madeline died while her brother was in the castle. 

5. They kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, say- 
ing, " Hail, King of the Jews ! "— Bible. 

6. Do unto others as ye would that they should do unto 
you. — Bible. 

7. The binder can be protected from storms by a canvas 
cover, but this affords only a temporary protection. 

8. Either sooner or later he will come to grief, but it will 
then be too late to atone for the wrong that he has done to 
others. 

9. Compare your work with his, and you will see the 
difference between good work and poor work. 

10. Though threatened by the soldiers, the multitude con- 
tinued to cry, " Treason ! Treason ! " 

11. The nests of these birds can be found on high cliffs, 
and occasionally in the topmost branches of lofty trees. 

12. Excuse me ! it is possible that I was mistaken. 

13. " Courage," he said, and pointed toward the land. 

— Tennyson. 

14. What ! appoint a man who has neither birth nor breed- 
ing to recommend him? • 

15. After he had paid all expenses, he found that he still 
had half of his original amount. 

16. There is, in fact, a growing sentiment in favor of pro- 
hibition. 

17. God of our fathers, known of old, 

Lord of the far-flung battle line, 
Beneath whose awful hand we hold 

Dominion over palm and pine, 
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, 

Lest we forget — lest we forget ! — Kipling. 



XIV 
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 

i. I had finished my toilet, and was loitering with Frank 
Bracebridge in the library, when we heard a distant thwacking 
sound, which he informed me was a signal for the serving up 
of the dinner. The Squire kept up old customs in kitchen as 
well as hall; and the rolling-pin, struck upon the dresser by the 
cook, summoned the servants to carry in the meats. 

"Just in this nick the cook knock'd thrice, 
And all the waiters in a trice 
His summons did obey; 
Each serving man, with dish in hand, 
March'd boldly up, like our train band, 
Presented and away." * 

2. The dinner was served up in the great hall where the 
Squire always held his Christmas banquet. A blazing, crack- 
ling fire of logs had been heaped on to warm the spacious 
apartment, and the flame went sparkling and wreathing up the 
wide-mouthed chimney. The great picture of the crusader and 
his white horse had been profusely decorated with greens for 
the occasion; and holly and ivy had likewise been wreathed 
round the helmet and weapons on the opposite wall, which I 
understood were the arms of the same warrior. I must own, 
by the by, I had strong doubts about the authenticity of the 
painting and armor as having belonged to the crusader, they 
certainly having the stamp of more recent days; but I was told 
that the painting had been so considered time out of mind ; and 
that, as to the armor, it had been found in a lumber-room, and 
elevated to its present situation by the Squire, who at once de- 
termined it to be the armor of the family hero ; and as he was 

* Sir John Suckling. [Irving's note.] 

195 



I9 6 THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 

absolute authority on all such subjects in his own household, 
the matter had passed into current acceptation. A sideboard 
was set out just under this chivalric trophy, on which was a 
display of plate that might have vied (at least in variety) with 
Belshazzar's parade of the vessels of the temple: " flagons, cans, 
cups, beakers, goblets, basins, and ewers ;" the gorgeous utensils 
of good companionship that had gradually accumulated through 
many generations of jovial housekeepers. Before these stood 
the two Yule candles, beaming like two stars of the first magni- 
tude; other lights were distributed in branches, and the whole 
array glittered like a firmament of silver. 

3. We were ushered into this banqueting scene with the sound 
of minstrelsy, the old harper being seated on a stool beside the 
fireplace, and twanging his instrument with a vast deal more 
power than melody. Never did Christmas boar^ display a more 
goodly and gracious assemblage of countenances ; those who were 
not handsome were, at least, happy ; and happiness is a rare im- 
prover of your hard-favored visage. I always consider an old 
English family as well worth studying as a collection of Hol- 
bein's portraits or Albert Diirer's prints. There is much anti- 
quarian lore to be acquired; much knowledge of the physiog- 
nomies of former times. Perhaps it may be from having con- 
tinually before their eyes those rows of old family portraits, 
with which the mansions of this country are stocked; certain 
it is, that the quaint features of antiquity are often most faith- 
fully perpetuated in these ancient lines ; and I have traced an old 
family nose through a whole picture gallery, legitimately handed 
down from generation to generation, almost from the time 
of the Conquest. Something of the kind was to be observed in 
the worthy company around me. Many of their faces had evi- 
dently originated in a Gothic age, and been merely copied by 
succeeding generations; and there was one little girl in par- 
ticular, of staid demeanor, with a high Roman nose, and an 
antique vinegar aspect, who was a great favorite of the Squire's, 
being, as he said, a Bracebridge all over, and the very counter- 
part of one of his ancestois who figured in the court of Henry 
VIII. 



THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 197 

4. The parson said grace, which was not a short familiar 
one, such as is commonly addressed to the Deity in these un- 
ceremonious days; but a long, courtly, well-worded one of the 
ancient school. There was now a pause, as if something was 
expected; when suddenly the butler entered the hall with some 
degree of bustle : he was attended by a servant on each side with 
a large wax-light, and bore a silver dish, on which was an 
enormous pig's head, decorated with rosemary, with a lemon 
in its mouth, which was placed with great formality at the head 
of the table. The moment this pageant made its appearance, the 
harper struck up a flourish ; at the conclusion of which the young 
Oxonian, on receiving a hint from the Squire, gave, with an 
air of the most comic gravity, an old carol, the first verse of 
which was as follows: — 

" Caput apri def ero 

Reddens laudes Domino. 
The boar's head in hand bring I 
With garlands gay and rosemary. 
I pray you all synge merrily 

Qui estis in convivio. ,, 

5. Though prepared to witness many of these little eccen- 
tricities, from being apprised of the peculiar hobby of mine 
host, yet, I confess, the parade with which so odd a dish was 
introduced somewhat perplexed me, until I gathered from the 
conversation of the Squire and the parson, that it was meant 
to represent the bringing in of the boar's head : a dish formerly 
served up with much ceremony and the sound of minstrelsy and 
song, at great tables, on Christmas day. " I like the old cus- 
tom," said the Squire, "not merely because it is stately and 
pleasing in itself, but because it was observed at the college 
at Oxford at which I was educated. When I hear the old song 
chanted, it brings to mind the time when I was young and 
gamesome,— and the noble old college-hall, — and my fellow- 
students loitering about in their black gowns; many of whom, 
poor lads, are now in their graves ! " 

6. The parson, however, whose mind was not haunted by such 
associations, and who was always more taken up with the text 



198 THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 

than the sentiment, objected to the Oxonian's version of the 
carol ; which he affirmed was different from that sung at college. 
He went on, with the dry perseverance of a commentator, to give 
the college reading, accompanied by sundry annotations; ad- 
dressing himself at first to the company at large; but finding 
their attention gradually diverted to other talk and other objects, 
he lowered his tone as his number of auditors diminished, until 
he concluded his remarks in an undervoice, to a fat-headed old 
gentleman next him, who was silently engaged in the discussion 
of a huge plateful of turkey.* 

7. The table was literally loaded with good cheer and pre- 
sented an epitome of country abundance, in this season of over- 
flowing larders. A distinguished post was allotted to " ancient 
sirloin" as mine host termed it ; being, as he added, " the standard 
of old English hospitality, and a joint of goodly presence, and 

* The old ceremony of serving up the boar's head on Christmas 
day is still observed in the hall of Queen's College, Oxford. I was 
favored by the parson with a copy of the carol as now sung, and, as 
it may be acceptable to such of my readers as are curious in these 
grave and learned matters, I give it entire. 

" The boar's head in hand bear I, 
Bedeck'd with bays and rosemary; 
And I pray you, my masters, be merry 
Quot estis in convivio. 
Caput apri defero, 
Reddens laudes domino. 

" The boar's head, as I understand, 
Is the rarest dish in all this land, 
Which thus bedeck'd with a gay garland 
Let us servire cantico. 
Caput apri defero, etc. 

" Our steward hath provided this 
In honor of the King of Bliss, 
Which on this day to be served is 
In Reginensi Atrio. 
Caput apri defero," 

etc., etc., etc. 

[Irving's note.] 



THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 199 

full of expectation." There were several dishes quaintly dec- 
orated, and which had evidently something traditional in their 
embellishments; but about which, as I did not like to appear 
over-curious, I asked no questions. 

8. I could not, however, but notice a pie, magnificently dec- 
orated with peacock's feathers in imitation of the tail of that 
bird, which overshadowed a considerable tract of the table. 
This, the Squire confessed, with some little hesitation, was a 
pheasant-pie, though a peacock-pie was certainly the most au- 
thentical; but there had been such a mortality among the pea- 
cocks this season that he could not prevail upon himself to have 
one killed.* 

9. It would be tedious, perhaps, to my wiser readers, who 
may not have that foolish fondness for odd and obsolete things 
to which I am a little given, were I to mention the other 
makeshifts of this worthy old humorist, by which he was en- 
deavoring to follow up, though at humble distance, the quaint 
customs of antiquity. I was pleased, however, to see the respect 
shown to his whims by his children and relatives; who, indeed, 
entered readily into the full spirit of them, and seemed all well 
versed in their parts; having doubtless been present at many a 
rehearsal. I was amused, too, at the air of profound gravity 
with which the butler and other servants executed the duties 
assigned them, however eccentric. They had an old-fashioned 

* The peacock was anciently in great demand for stately entertain- 
ments. Sometimes it was made into a pie, at one end of which the 
head appeared above the crust in all its plumage, with the beak richly 
gilt; at the other end the tail was displayed. Such pies were served 
up at the solemn banquets of chivalry, when knights-errant pledged 
themselves to undertake any perilous enterprise, whence came the 
ancient oath, used by Justice Shallow, " by cock and pie." 

The peacock was also an important dish for the Christmas feast; 
and Massinger, in his " City Madam," gives some idea of the extrava- 
gance with which this, as well as other dishes, was prepared for the 
gorgeous revels of the olden times : — 

" Men may talk of Country Christmasses, 

" Their thirty pound butter'd eggs, their pies of carps' tongues ; 

" Their pheasants drench'd with ambergris ; the carcases of three 
fat wethers bruised for gravy to make sauce for a single peacock!' 
[Irving's note.] 



200 THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 

look; having for the most part, been brought up in the house- 
hold, and grown into keeping with the antiquated mansion, and 
the humors of its lord; and most probably looked upon all his 
whimsical regulations as the established laws of honorable house- 
keeping. 

10. When the cloth was removed, the butler brought in a 
huge silver vessel of rare and curious workmanship, which he 
placed before the Squire. Its appearance was hailed with ac- 
clamation; being the Wassail Bowl, so renowned in Christmas 
festivity. The contents had been prepared by the Squire him- 
self; for it was a beverage in the skilful mixture of which he 
particularly prided himself; alleging that it was too abstruse and 
complex for the comprehension of an ordinary servant. It was 
a potation, indeed, that might well make the heart of a toper 
leap within him ; being composed of the richest and raciest wines, 
highly spiced and sweetened, with roasted apples bobbing about 
the surface.* 

ii. The old gentleman's whole countenance beamed with a 
serene look of indwelling delight, as he stirred this mighty 
bowl. Having raised it to his lips, with a hearty wish of a 
merry Christmas to all present, he sent it brimming round the 
board, for every one to follow his example, according to the 
primitive style ; pronouncing it " the ancient fountain of good 
feeling, where all hearts met together." * * 

* The Wassail Bowl was sometimes composed of ale instead of 
wine ; with nutmeg, sugar, toast, ginger, and roasted crabs : in this 
way the nut-brown beverage is still prepared in some old families and 
round the hearths of substantial farmers at Christmas. It is also 
called Lamb's Wool, and is celebrated by Herrick in his "Twelfth 
Night " :- 

" Next crowne the bowle full 
With gentle Lamb's Wool; 
Add sugar, nutmeg, and ginger 
With store of ale too; 
And thus ye must doe 
To make the Wassaile a swinger." 

[Irving's note.] 
** " The custom of drinking out of the same cup gave place to each 
having his cup. When the steward came to the doore with the 



THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 201 

12. There was much laughing and rallying as the honest 
emblem of Christmas joviality circulated, and was kissed rather 
coyly by the ladies. When it reached Master Simon, he raised 
it in both hands, and with the air of a boon companion struck . 
up an old Wassail chanson. 

" The brown bowle, 

The merry brown bowle, 
As it goes round about-a, 

Fill 

Still, 
Let the world say what it will 
And drink your fill all out-a. 

The deep canne, 

The merry deep canne, 

As thou dost freely quaff-a, 

Sing 

Fling, 
Be as merry as a king, 
And sound a lusty laugh-a." * 

13. Much of the conversation during dinner turned upon 
family topics, to which I was a stranger. There was, how- 
ever, a great deal of rallying of Master Simon about some gay 
widow, with whom he was accused of having a flirtation. This 
attack was commenced by the ladies; but it was continued 
throughout the dinner by the fat-headed old gentleman next the 
parson, with the persevering assiduity of a slow hound; being 
one of those long-winded jokers, who, though rather dull at 
starting game, are unrivalled for their talents in hunting it 
down. At every pause in the general conversation, he renewed 
his bantering in pretty much the same terms ; winking hard at me 
with both eyes, whenever he gave Master Simon what he con- 
sidered a home thrust. The latter, indeed, seemed fond of being 
teased on the subject, as old bachelors are apt to be; and he 

Wassel, he was to cry three times, Wassel, Wassel, Wassel, and then 
the chappel (chaplein) was to answer with a song." — Archceologia. 

[Irving's note.] 
*From Poor Robin's Almanac. [Irving's note.] 



202 THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 

took occasion to inform me, in an undertone, that the lady in 
question was a prodigiously fine woman, and drove her own 
curricle. 

14. The dinner-time passed away in this flow of innocent 
hilarity, and, though the old hall may have resounded in its 
time with many a scene of broader rout and revel, yet I doubt 
whether it ever witnessed more honest and genuine enjoyment. 
How easy it is for one benevolent being to diffuse pleasure 
around him; and how truly is a kind heart a fountain of glad- 
ness, making everything in its vicinity to freshen into smiles ! 
the joyous disposition of the worthy Squire was perfectly con- 
tagious; he was happy himself, and disposed to make all the 
world happy; and the little eccentricities of his humor did but 
season, in a manner, the sweetness of his philanthropy. 

15. When the ladies had retired, the conversation, as usual, 
became still more animated; many good things were broached 
which had been thought of during dinner, but which would 
not exactly do for a lady's ear; and though I cannot positively 
affirm that there was much wit uttered, yet I have certainly 
heard many contests of rare wit produce much less laughter. 
Wit, after all, is a mighty tart, pungent ingredient, and much 
too acid for some stomachs; but honest good-humor is the oil 
and wine of a merry meeting, and there is no jovial companion- 
ship equal to that where the jokes are rather small, and the 
laughter abundant. 

16. The Squire told several long stories of early college 
pranks and adventures, in some of which the parson had been 
a sharer ; though in looking at the latter, it required some effort 
of imagination to figure such a little dark anatomy of a man 
into the perpetrator of a madcap gambol. Indeed, the two col- 
lege chums presented pictures of what men may be made by 
their different lots in life. The Squire had left the university 
to live lustily on his paternal domains, in the vigorous enjoy- 
ment of prosperity and sunshine, and had flourished on to a 
hearty and florid old age; whilst the poor parson, on the con- 
trary, had dried and withered away, among dusty tomes, in the 
silence and shadows of his study. Still there seemed to be a 



THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 203 

spark of almost extinguished fire, feebly glimmering in the bot- 
tom of his soul; and as the Squire hinted at a sly story of the 
parson and a pretty milkmaid, whom they once met on the banks 
of the Isis, the old gentleman made an " alphabet of faces," 
which, as far as I could decipher his physiognomy, I verily be- 
lieve was indicative of laughter ; — indeed, I have rarely met 
with an old gentleman that took absolute offence at the imputed 
gallantries of his youth. 

17. I found the tide of wine and wassail fast gaining on the 
dry land of sober judgment. The company grew merrier and 
louder as their jokes grew duller. Master Simon was in as 
chirping a humor as a grasshopper filled with dew ; his old songs 
grew of a warmer complexion, and he began to talk maudlin 
about the widow. He even gave a long song about the wooing 
of a widow which he informed me he had gathered from an ex- 
cellent black-letter work, entitled Cupid's Solicitor for Love, 
containing store of good advice for bachelors, and which he 
promised to lend me. The first verse was to this effect : — 

" He that will woo a widow must not dally, 
He must make hay while the sun doth shine ; 
He must not stand with her, shall I, shall I ? 
But boldly say, Widow, thou must be mine." 

18. This song inspired the fat-headed old gentleman, who 
made several attempts to tell a rather broad story out of Joe 
Miller, that was pat to the purpose ; but he always stuck in the 
middle, everybody recollecting the latter part excepting himself. 
The parson, too, began to show the effects of good cheer, hav- 
ing gradually settled down into a doze, and his wig sitting most 
suspiciously on one side. Just at this juncture we were sum- 
moned to the drawing-room, and, I suspect, at the private instiga- 
tion of mine host, whose joviality seemed always tempered with 
a proper love of decorum. 

19. After the dinner-table was removed, the hall was given 
up to the younger members of the family, who, prompted to all 
kind of noisy mirth by the Oxonian and Master Simon, made its 
old walls ring with their merriment, as they played at romping 



204 THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 

games. I delight in witnessing the gambols of children, and 
particularly at this happy holiday season, and could not help 
stealing out of the drawing-room on hearing one of their peals 
of laughter. I found them at the game of blindman's-buff. 
Master Simon, who was the leader of their revels, and seemed 
on all occasions to fulfil the office of that ancient potentate, the 
Lord of Misrule,* was blinded in the midst of the hall. The 
little beings were as busy about him as the mock fairies about 
Falstaff ; pinching him, plucking at the skirts of his coat, and 
tickling him with straws. One fine blue-eyed girl of about 
thirteen, with her flaxen hair all in beautiful confusion, her 
frolic face in a glow, her frock half torn off her shoulders, a 
complete picture of a romp, was the chief tormentor; and, from 
the slyness with which Master Simon avoided the smaller game, 
and hemmed this wild little nymph in corners, and obliged her 
to jump shrieking over chairs, I suspected the rogue of being 
not a whit more blinded than was convenient. 

20. When I returned to the drawing-room, I found the com- 
pany seated round the fire, listening to the parson, who was 
deeply ensconced in a high-backed oaken chair, the work of 
some cunning artificer of yore, which had been brought from 
the library for his particular accommodation. From this ven- 
erable piece of furniture, with which his shadowy figure and 
dark weazen face so admirably accorded, he was dealing out 
strange accounts of the popular superstitions and legends of 
the surrounding country, with which he had become acquainted 
in the course of his antiquarian researches. I am half inclined 
to think that the old gentleman was himself somewhat tinctured 
with superstition, as men are very apt to be who live a recluse 
and studious life in a sequestered part of the country and pore 
over black-letter tracts, so often filled with the marvellous and 
supernatural. He gave us several anecdotes of the fancies of 

* " At Christmasse there was in the Kinge's house, wheresoever he 
was lodged a lorde of misrule, or mayster of merie disportes, and the 
like had ye in the house of every nobleman of honor, or good wor- 
shippe, were he spirituall or temporall."— Stowe. [Irving's note.] 



THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 205 

the neighboring peasantry, concerning the effigy of the crusader, 
which lay on the tomb by the church-altar. As it was the only 
monument of the kind in that part of the country, it had always 
been regarded with feelings of superstition by the good wives 
of the village. It was said to get up from the tomb and walk 
the rounds of the churchyard in stormy nights, particularly when 
it thundered; and one old woman, whose cottage bordered on 
the churchyard, had seen it through the windows of the church, 
when the moon shone, slowly pacing up and down the aisles. 
It was the belief that some wrong had been left unredressed by 
the deceased, or some treasure hidden, which kept the spirit 
in a state of trouble and restlessness. Some talked of gold and 
jewels buried in the tomb, over which the spectre kept watch; 
and there was a story current of a sexton in old times, who en- 
deavored to break his way to the coffin at night, but, just 
as he reached it, received a violent blow from the marble hand 
of the effigy, which stretched him senseless on the pavement. 
These tales were often laughed at by some of the sturdier 
among the rustics, yet, when night came on, there were many 
of the stoutest unbelievers that were shy of venturing alone in 
the footpath that led across the churchyard. 

21. From these and other anecdotes that followed, the crusader 
appeared to be the favorite hero of ghost-stories throughout the 
vicinity. His picture, which hung up in the hall, was thought 
by the servants to have something supernatural about it; for 
they remarked that, in whatever part of the hall you went, the 
eyes of the warrior were still fixed on you. The old porter's 
wife, too, at the lodge, who had been born and brought up in 
the family, and was a great gossip among the maid-servants, 
affirmed, that in her young days she had often heard say, that 
on Midsummer eve, when it was well known all kinds of ghosts, 
goblins, and fairies become visible and walk abroad, the crusader 
used to mount his horse, come down from his picture, ride 
about the house, down the avenue, and so to the church to visit 
the tomb ; on which occasion the church-door most civilly swung 
open of itself; not that he needed it, for he rode through closed 



206 THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 

gates and even stone walls, and had been seen by one of the 
dairy-maids to pass between two bars of the great park-gate, 
making himself as thin as a sheet of paper. 

22. All these superstitions I found had been very much coun- 
tenanced by the Squire, who, though not superstitious himself, 
was very fond of seeing others so. He listened to every goblin- 
tale of the neighboring gossips with infinite gravity, and held the 
porter's wife in high favor on account of her talent for the 
marvellous. He was himself a great reader of old legends and 
romances, and often lamented that he could not believe in them ; 
for a superstitious person, he thought, must live in a kind of 
fairy land. 

23. Whilst we were all attention to the parson's stories, our 
ears were suddenly assailed by a burst of heterogeneous sounds 
from the hall, in which were mingled something like the clang of 
rude minstrelsy, with the uproar of many small voices and girlish 
laughter. The door suddenly flew open, and a train came troop- 
ing into the room, that might almost have been mistaken for the 
breaking up of the court of Fairy. That indefatigable spirit, 
Master Simon, in the faithful discharge of his duties as lord of 
misrule, had conceived the idea of a Christmas mummery or 
masking; and having called in to his assistance the Oxonian and 
the young officer, who were equally ripe for anything that should 
occasion romping and merriment, they had carried it into instant 
effect. The old housekeeper had been consulted; the antique 
clothes-presses and wardrobes rummaged, and made to yield up 
the relics of finery that had not seen the light for several genera- 
tions ; the younger part of the company had been privately con- 
vened from the parlor and hall, and the whole had been bedizened 
out, into a burlesque imitation of an antique mask.* 

24. Master Simon led the van, as "Ancient Christmas," 
quaintly apparelled in a ruff, a short cloak, which had very 

* Maskings or mummeries were favorite sports at Christmas in old 
times ; and the wardrobes at halls and manor-houses were often laid 
under contribution to furnish dresses and fantastic disguisings. I 
strongly suspect Master Simon to have taken the idea of his from 
Ben Jonson's Masque of Christmas. [Irving's note.] 



THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 207 

much the aspect of one of the old housekeeper's petticoats, and 
a hat that might have served for a village steeple, and must 
indubitably have figured in the days of the Covenanters. From 
under this his nose curved boldly forth, flushed with a frost- 
bitten bloom, that seemed the very trophy of a December blast. 
He was accompanied by the blue-eyed romp, dished up as " Dame 
Mince Pie," in the venerable magnificence of a faded brocade, 
long stomacher, peaked hat and high-heeled shoes. The young 
officer appeared as Robin Hood, in a sporting dress of Kendal 
green, and a foraging cap with a gold tassel. 

25. The costume, to be sure, did not bear testimony to deep 
research, and there was an evident eye to the picturesque, 
natural to the young gallant in the presence of his mistress. The 
fair Julia hung on his arm in a pretty rustic dress, as " Maid 
Marian." The rest of the train had been metamorphosed in 
various ways: the girls trussed up in the finery of the ancient 
belles of the Bracebridge line, and the striplings bewhiskered 
with burnt cork, and gravely clad in broad skirts, hanging 
sleeves, and full-bottomed wigs, to represent the character of 
Roast Beef, Plum Pudding, and other worthies celebrated in an- 
cient maskings. The whole was under the control of the Oxon- 
ian, in the appropriate character of Misrule ; and I observed that 
he exercised rather a mischievous sway with his wand over the 
smaller personages of the pageant. 

26. The irruption of his motley crew, with beat of drum, 
according to ancient custom, was the consummation of uproar 
and merriment. Master Simon covered himself with glory by 
the stateliness with which, as Ancient Christmas, he walked a 
minuet with the peerless, though giggling, Dame Mince Pie. 
It was followed by a dance of all the characters, which, from 
its medley of costumes, seemed as though the old family por- 
traits had skipped down from their frames to join in the sport. 
Different centuries were figuring at cross hands and right and 
left; the dark ages were cutting pirouettes and rigadoons; and 
the days of Queen Bess jigging merrily down the middle, through 
a line of succeeding generations. 

27. The worthy Squire contemplated these fantastic sports, 



208 THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 

and this resurrection of his old wardrobe, with the simple relish 
of childish delight. He stood chuckling and rubbing his hands, 
and scarcely hearing a word the parson said, notwithstanding 
that the latter was discoursing most authentically on the ancient 
and stately dance at the Paon, or peacock, from which he con- 
ceived the minuet to be derived.* For my part, I was in a con- 
tinual excitement from the varied scenes of whim and innocent 
gayety passing before me. It was inspiring to see wild-eyed 
frolic and warm-hearted hospitality breaking out from among 
the chills and glooms of winter, and old age throwing off his 
apathy, and catching once more the freshness of youthful enjoy- 
ment. I felt also an interest in the scene, from the considera- 
tion that these fleeting customs were posting fast into oblivion, 
and that this was, perhaps, the only family in England in which 
the whole of them was still punctiliously observed. There was 
a quaintness, too, mingled with all this revelry, that gave it a 
peculiar zest : it was suited to the time and place ; and as the old 
manor-house almost reeled with mirth and wassail, it seemed 
echoing back the joviality of long departed years.** 

28. But enough of Christmas and its gambols; it is time for 
me to pause in this garrulity. Methinks I hear the questions 
asked by my graver readers, " To what purpose is all this ; how 
is the world to be made wiser by this talk ? " Alas ! is there not 
wisdom enough extant for the instruction of the world? And 

* Sir John Hawkins, speaking of the dance called the Pavon, from 
pavo, a peacock, says: "It is a grave and majestic dance; the 
method of dancing it anciently was by gentlemen dressed with caps 
and swords, by those of the long robe in their gowns, by the peers in 
their mantles, and by the ladies in gowns with long trains, the 
motion whereof in dancing resembled that of a peacock/' — History 
of Music. [Irving's note.] 

** At the time of the first publication of this paper, the picture of an 
old-fashioned Christmas in the country was pronounced by some as 
out of date. The author had afterwards an opportunity of witness- 
ing almost all the customs above described, existing in unexpected 
vigor in the skirts of Derbyshire and Yorkshire, where he passed the 
Christmas holidays. The reader will find some notice of them in the 
author's account of his sojourn at Newstead Abbey. [Irving's note.] 



THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 209 

if not, are there not thousands of abler pens laboring for its 
improvement? — It is so much pleasanter to please than to in- 
struct, — to play the companion rather than the preceptor. 

29. What, after all, is the mite of wisdom that I could throw 
into the mass of knowledge; or how am I sure that my sagest 
deductions may be safe guides for the opinions of others? But 
in writing to amuse, if I fail, the only evil is in my own disap- 
pointment. If, however, I can by any lucky chance, in these days 
of evil, rub out one wrinkle from the brow of care, or beguile 
the heavy heart of one moment of sorrow ; if I can now and then 
penetrate through the gathering film of misanthropy, prompt a 
, benevolent view of human nature, and make my reader more in 
good-humor with his fellow-beings and himself, surely, surely, 
I shall not then have written entirely in vain. 

CHRISTMAS DINNER 
Class Discussion 

After the return of the Squire's household from the 
church, as related in " Christmas Day," the company had 
engaged in dancing and in other rural pastimes. This essay 
begins with the summoning of the guests to the dinner. 

Why are the servants called to the kitchen by striking 
upon the dresser with a rolling-pin? In what part of the 
house was the dinner held? How do you account for the 
presence of the old harper, mentioned in paragraph 3? 

How was the boar's head served ? Why was it so served ? 
Was there any particular reason why a peacock pie should 
be served on this occasion? Describe the ceremony of the 
Wassail Bowl. 

What was the nature of the conversation at the table? 
Did good humor prevail at all times ? 

In what manner was the rest of the day spent ? 

The concluding paragraph of the essay gives Irving's 



210 THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 

reason for writing on subjects of such slight importance. 
Read the paragraph over again. It will help you to under- 
stand better the spirit of the author. 

Write to your brother, who could not come home for 
Christmas, and tell him about the Christmas dinner. 



XV 
VARIATION IN THE PARTS OF SPEECH 

It cannot be too strongly impressed upon the student that 
the use of a word and not its form, determines what part 
of speech it is. For the purpose of study it is necessary to 
isolate the various parts of speech and consider them separ- 
ately, but this should not lead the student to suppose that 
the word instead of the sentence has been made the unit of 
composition. As a matter of fact, it is often impossible to 
determine what part of speech a given word is, when it 
stands alone. For instance, the word sound standing alone 
is really no part of speech; according to the use which is 
made of it in the sentence, it may be a noun, a verb, or an 
adjective. 

Noun: Not a sound was heard. 

Verb: Sound the bugle. 

Adjective: The foundation is not sound. 
Other examples of this variation in the parts of speech 
are the following : 

Conjunction : Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers. 

Preposition : There is no one but me here. 

Adverb : Do but stay your hand and all shall be 

yours. 

Conjunction: I came before he did. 
Preposition : He stood before the painting. 
Adverb : I never saw him before. 

Exercises, (a) Parse the italicised words in the fol- 
lowing sentences: 

211 



212 VARIATION IN THE PARTS OF SPEECH 

1. He did not except any one except James. 

2. Thy seed shall people the earth and all people shall call 
thee blessed. — Bible. 

3. The cross of St. Martin stood at a point where three 
roads cross. 

4. I like the quotation, " We shall never look upon his like 
again." 

5. " Well played," he shouted. " When I am well, HI 
play with you ! " 

6. "You!" she shrieked, "are you here? You scoun- 
drel ! " 

7. When Prince Hal said, " I could have better spared a 
better man," he did not better his reputation for veracity. 

8. Discouraged by the ups and downs of life, I gave up 
hope and saw my small fortune go down to ruin. 

9. " Do not let the flash blind you as it did me," said the 
blind attendant. " I am blind because no one warned me." 

10. He says that the man that gave you that gift was his 

father. 

(b) Construct sentences containing the following words 

used as different parts of speech. Use each word in as 

many different ways as possible. 

down ground calm last 

after square spring before 

gold mean fly water 

past enough fire fast 

wrong that effect round 



XVI 
ANALYSIS OF SENTENCES 

Phrases. A phrase is a group of related words having 
neither subject nor predicate and used as a part of speech. 
According as it is used as a noun, an adjective, or an ad- 
verb, the phrase is known as Substantive, Adjective, or Ad- 
verbial. 

Substantive: To have a good name is better than 

riches. 
Adjective : The man on the box began to speak. 
Adverbial : He fell into the pond. 
According as it contains a preposition, an infinitive, Or a 
participle, a phrase is known as Prepositional, Infinitive, or 
Participial. 

Prepositional: The cattle on a thousand hills are his. 
Infinitive : To do good is noble. 

Participial : She stood on the deck waving her hand. 
Clauses. A clause is a group of related words having a 
subject and a predicate and forming part of a larger sen- 
tence. There are two kinds of clauses — Principal and Sub- 
ordinate. 

A principal clause forms an assertion by itself. 

The boy ran away because he had been punished. 
A subordinate clause is used as a part of speech and does 
not make sense when standing alone ; it is always dependent 
upon a principal clause. According as it is used as a noun, 
an adjective or an adverb, a subordinate clause is known as 
Substantive, Adjective, or Adverbial. 

213 



214 ANALYSIS OF SENTENCES 

Substantive: That he should have failed to come 
grieves me. 
The clause is equivalent to His absence and is used as the 
subject of the sentence. 

He announced that the child was dead. 
The clause is equivalent to the child's death and is used 
as the object of announced. 

His favorite saying is that haste makes waste. 
The clause is here used as a predicate noun. 

I know nothing except that I am innocent. 
The clause is here used as the object of the preposition 
except. 

He asked what my present occupation was. 
The clause is here used as an indirect question. 

Adjective: The man who hesitates is lost. 
The clause is equivalent to the adjective hesitating and 
modifies man. 

Adverbial : He will go when the bell rings. 
The clause is equivalent to an adverb of time. 
In such a sentence as " I thought him to be a better man," 
the group of words " him to be a better man " is equivalent 
to "that he was a better man," which is a clause. Such 
groups of words, even though they do not contain a predi- 
cate, are therefore termed infinitive clauses. 

Connectives. Clauses of the same rank, whether they 
are principal or subordinate, are called coordinate and are 
connected by coordinate conjunctions. 

Principal : I was present but he was absent. 
Subordinate : My uncle, who had travelled abroad and 
who knew how to describe what he had 
seen, interested me greatly. 
Clauses of unequal rank are connected by subordinate 
conjunctions, relative adverbs, or relative pronouns. 



ANALYSIS OF SENTENCES 215 

Subordinate Conjunction : He stole the loaf because he 

was hungry. 
Relative Adverb : I saw where he went. 
Relative Pronoun: This is the hat that I want. 
Exercises, (a) Find in " Christmas Day " two examples 
of each kind of phrase mentioned above. 

(b) Classify and give the use of each phrase in paragraphs 
20 and 21 of " The Christmas Dinner." 

(c) Find in "Christmas Eve" five principal clauses and 
five subordinate clauses. Give the use of each of the latter. 

(d) Give the use of each of the subordinate clauses in 
paragraphs 17, 19, and 29 of " The Christmas Dinner." 

Sentences. A sentence is the grammatically complete ex- 
pression of a thought. It must have a subject and a predi- 
cate and be able to stand alone. Such expressions as the 
following are not grammatically complete because they do 
not make sense when standing alone, but are dependent on 
other clauses. They are not sentences, but are subordinate 
clauses and should never be used as sentences. 

Though the wind blew steadily for an hour. 

While I was waiting for the train to come. 
Use. According to their use, sentences are divided into 
two classes — Declarative and Interrogative. A declarative 
sentence declares or tells something. It may declare a sim- 
ple fact, or it may declare the speaker's will or wish. 

The ship sailed out of the harbor. 

Bring me my hat. 

Oh, that he were come ! 
An interrogative sentence asks something. 

What do you want ? 

Who goes there? 
Feeling. According to the degree of feeling in the speak- 
er's mind, sentences are Exclamatory or Non-exclamatory. 
This division does not concern itself at all with the thought 



216 ANALYSIS OF SENTENCES 

of the sentence, but simply with the manner in which the 
thought is expressed. If the speaker is excited and his ex- 
pressions take the form of an exclamation, the sentence is 
exclamatory; otherwise it is non-exclamatory. The follow- 
ing sentences are exclamatory : 

Stop, that hurts me ! (Declarative) 
Did you ever see the like of that? (Interrogative) 
Give me the dagger! (Declarative) 
Form. According to their form, sentences are divided 
into three classes — Simple, Compound, and Complex. 

A simple sentence is one that contains a single subject 
and predicate. 

The dog barked loudly. 
A compound sentence is one which is composed of two 
or more principal clauses. 

The dog barked loudly and the child began to cry. 
I came, I saw, I conquered. 
A complex sentence is one composed of a principal clause 
and one or more subordinate clauses. 

When the dog barked loudly, the child began to cry. 
I will go if you will go with me. 
If one member of a compound sentence is complex, the 
sentence is called compound-complex. 

As I was seated in this room, a small door was opened 
and a number of gray-headed men came forth. 
Exercise. Classify the sentences in paragraphs 8, 10, 17, 
and 28 of " The Christmas Dinner " according to their 
use, feeling, and form. 

Subject. Every sentence is divided into two parts, the 
subject and the predicate.* The subject is that part of the 
sentence about which the predicate asserts something. It 

* In a compound sentence there may be more than one subject and 
more than one predicate. 



ANALYSIS OF SENTENCES 217 

may be a single word, a phrase, or a clause. It is then called 
the simple subject. 

Noun: The horse runs. 

Pronoun : He is my cousin. 

Infinitive phrase : To obey your parents is right. 
Substantive clause : That the runner was completely 
exhausted could be seen by every 
one. 
When the subject consists of two or more substantives of 
equal importance, it is called a compound subject. 
A man and a boy came slowly up the street. 
To obey your parents and to love your enemies is right. 
The subject with its modifiers is called the complete sub- 
ject. The simple subject of a sentence is always a noun 
or its equivalent (subject substantive), and its modifiers are 
always adjectives or their equivalents. Among these are 
participles, infinitives, adjective clauses, and substantives in 
apposition or in the genitive case. 

My black horse which you gave me is lost. 
My is a possessive adjective; black is a descriptive adjec- 
tive; which you gave me is an adjective clause; each one 
is a modifier of the simple subject horse, the complete sub- 
ject being My black horse which you gave me. 

It and there are often used as anticipatory subjects. 
There are many brave men here. 
It is hard to believe that tale. 
The real subjects of the sentences are many brave men 
and to believe that tale, as can be shown by reversing the 
sentences. 

Predicate. The predicate is what is said about the sub- 
ject. The foundation word of the predicate must be a verb 
(predicative verb) ; this is called the simple predicate. 
The horse runs. 



218 ANALYSIS OF SENTENCES 

When the predicate consists of two or more verbs of equal 
importance, it is called a compound predicate. 
The ship rolled and tossed* 
Complements. The simple predicate, however, often has 
complements and modifiers to enlarge its meaning. The 
simple predicate with its complements and modifiers is called 
the complete predicate. A complement is a word or group 
of words used to complete the meaning of the verb. There 
are three complements — the direct object, the predicate 
noun, and the predicate adjective. 

The direct object of a transitive verb, like its subject, must 
be either a noun or its equivalent. 

Noun : The player caught the ball. 

Pronoun: He did not see me. 

Substantive clause : She saw that all hope was lost. 
The predicate noun is a noun that is used to complete the 
meaning of the verb. It may refer to either the subject or 
the object of the verb. 

Predicate noun : They are cowards. 

Adjunct accusative: The people made him king. 
The predicate adjective is an adjective that is used to com- 
plete the meaning of the verb. It also may refer to either 
the subject or the object of the verb. 
The apple is ripe. 
The walk made him tired. 
Modifiers. The modifiers of the predicate may be the 
indirect object or adverbs and their equivalents : 

Indirect object: He sold me the book. 

Adverbs or their equivalent : She smiled brightly. 

(Adverb) 

The brook runs through 
the meadow. (Adverbi- 
al phrase) 

We came to see. ( Infin- 
itive } 



ANALYSIS OF SENTENCES 219 

The modifiers of the object must be adjectives or their 
equivalent. 

Adjective: The farmer cuts the tall grass. 

Genitive case of noun : He followed his master's dog. 
Noun in apposition : I once saw Washington, our first 

president. 
Possessive adjective : He followed his dog. 
Adjective clause: He beckoned to the man who was 

standing behind me. 
Elliptical Sentences. Certain words that can be easily- 
supplied from the context are often omitted in sentences. 
These sentences are called elliptical. In parsing it is usu- 
ally better to supply the missing words unless the construc- 
tion has been accepted as an idiom. 
Go (you) into the fields. 

Though (we were) tired, we continued our journey. 
You are older than I (am). 
Jie said (that) he had not prepared his lesson. 
Model, When we analyze a sentence, we separate it into 
its various parts and tell the use of each part. We should 
tell: 

1. Its kind — declarative or interrogative, exclamatory or 
non-exclamatory 

2. Its class — simple, compound, complex, compound-com- 
plex 

3. Its subject — simple or compound 

4. Its predicate — simple or compound 

5. The complete subject 

6. The complete predicate 

7. The modifiers of the subject and the use of each 

8. The complements of the predicate and the use of 
each 

9. The modifiers of the predicate and the use of each 
10. The modifiers of the object and the use of each. 



220 ANALYSIS OF SENTENCES 

Thus, — 

The new king with five faithful followers marched into 
the city. 

This is a declarative, non-exclamatory sentence because 
it simply states a fact. It is simple because it has a single 
subject and predicate. The simple subject is king and the 
simple predicate is marched. The complete subject is The 
new king with five faithful followers, and the complete predi- 
cate is marched into the city. The subject is modified by 
The (definite article), new (descriptive adjective), and the 
prepositional phrase with five faithful followers, which is 
used as an adjective. The predicate is modified by the prep- 
ositional phrase into the city, which is used as an adverb of 
place. 

He struck the man who called him a coward. 

This is a non-exclamatory, declarative sentence because 
it simply states a fact. It is a complex sentence because it 
is composed of the principal clause He struck the man and 
the subordinate clause who called him a coward. He is the 
simple subject, and struck is the simple predicate. The com- 
plete subject is He, and the complete predicate is struck the 
man who called him a coward. The complement of the 
predicate is man, which is the direct object of struck. Man 
is modified by the relative clause who called him a coward, 
which is used as an adjective. 

Exercises, (a) Analyze the following sentences: 

i. The Squire told several long stories of college pranks. 

2. What is so rare as a day in June? — Lowell. 

3. A blue-eyed girl of about thirteen was the chief tor- 
mentor. 

4. Pineapples and bananas are fruits which we import 
from South America. 

5. I profess not to know how women's hearts are wooed 
and won. — Irving. 



ANALYSIS OF SENTENCES 221 

6. His duties as overseer covered ten counties and com- 
pelled him to ride two hundred miles every week. 

7. No character in English letters is more generally ad- 
mired than Addison. 

8. The sun's rim dips ; the stars rush out ; 
At one stride comes the dark. — Coleridge. 

9. It cannot be denied that the original design was faulty 
and did not meet the expectations of the owners. 

10. I shall ever remember the many solemn hours that I 
spent alone with the master. 

11. The painter Richardson gives us a glimpse of Milton 
as he was led about the streets, clothed in a gray coat, or 
as he sat at the door of his house to receive visitors. 

12. A generous prayer is never presented in vain; the pe- 
tition may be refused, but the petitioner is always, I believe, 
rewarded by some gracious visitation. — Stevenson. 

13. When his dominions were half depopulated, he sum- 
moned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted 
friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and 
with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his abbeys. 
— Poe. 

14. He assisted at their sports, made their playthings, 
taught them to fly kites, and told them long stories of ghosts, 
witches, and Indians. — Irving. 

15. During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day 
in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively 
low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, 
through a dreary tract of country. — Poe. 

16. To the homeless man, who has no spot on this wide 
world which he can truly call his own, there is a momentary 
feeling of something like independence, when after a weary 
day's travel, he kicks off his boots, thrusts his feet into slip- 
pers, and stretches himself before an inn fire. — Irving. 

17. As the enraptured Ichabod fancied all this, and as he 



222 ANALYSIS OF SENTENCES 

rolled his great green eyes over the fat meadow lands, the 
rich fields of rye, of buckwheat, and of Indian corn, and 
the orchard burdened with ruddy fruit, which surrounded 
the warm tenement of Van Tassel, his heart yearned after 
the damsel who was to inherit these domains, and his im- 
agination expanded with the idea how they might be readily 
turned into cash, and the money invested in immense tracts 
of wild land in the wilderness. — Irving. 

(b) Analyze all the sentences in the following selec- 
tions : 
i. " Christmas Eve," paragraphs 2, 13, and 14. 

2. " Christmas Day," paragraphs 2 and 3. 

3. " The Christmas Dinner," paragraph 22. 



PART II 

COMPOSITION 

I 
INTRODUCTION 

Composition Is Not a New Subject to You. There are 
two divisions of composition, oral and written, and no doubt 
you have already had some experience in both of them. As 
a child you often gave your parents oral accounts of the 
remarkable adventures of your childhood. You have writ- 
ten compositions in one form or another before to-day. Per- 
haps you were required to write stories or essays in con- 
nection with your grammar work in the lower grades. At 
any rate, you have all written letters and examination pa- 
pers. These are forms of composition, and so it may be 
taken for granted that you already know something of the 
art of composing. 

Composition and Grammar Are Bound Together. From 
grammar you have learned something about the correct use 
of words and the different parts of the sentence. Now, 
as you take up the subject of composition, you are expected 
to practice the principles you have acquired from previous 
study. Bear in mind that composition and grammar are 
closely bound together, and that you cannot progress in 
composition without retaining your hold on grammar. What 
is wrong from the standpoint of grammar is wrong from 
the standpoint of composition. 

223 



224 INTRODUCTION 

Oral Composition 

A Man Is Judged by His Speech. Perhaps few of you 
have fully realized the importance of correct speaking. The 
world forms its estimate of a person from his manners, 
dress, speech, and general appearance, but perhaps its truest 
judgment is based upon his speech. Those who are care- 
less in their choice of words and in putting them together 
can hardly hope to make a favorable impression on the 
people whom they meet. 

Conversation. Conversation is as truly oral composition 
as a public speech or the recitation of a long story. It is 
important, therefore, that your words in conversation be 
such as will be approved by intelligent and cultured people. 
It is also important that the words be correctly pronounced 
and so arranged in sentences as to convey your meaning 
clearly. 

Answers in the Recitation. Answers to questions in the 
class-room should be carefully worded. Think what you 
are going to say before you begin to say it. It is not meant, 
of course, that you are to answer like the catechism, but 
still in such a way as to make what you mean clear to the 
teacher.* 

Written Composition 

The Theme. The term theme in this book will be used 
to denote a short oral or written composition, a story, essay, 
letter, or debate. . 

.The Heading. Every written theme must have a heading 
or title which will give the reader an idea of the subject of 
which it treats. If ruled paper is used, the heading should 
be written in the vacant space at the top of the page, or on 

* Note to the Teacher : — Too much emphasis cannot be laid 
upon requiring pupils to use good English at all times, and to respond 
to questions in whole sentences. 



INTRODUCTION 225 

the first line, according to the teacher's preference. Re- 
member, all important words in the heading should begin 
with capitals. 

The Margin. If you are writing on regular theme pa- 
per, or on legal cap paper, the red line on the left should 
mark off the margin. Let nothing be written on the left of 
this line. If you are using unruled paper, be sure to leave 
a one-inch margin on the left for the teacher's corrections. 

Spelling. Spelling is an important part of composition, ' 
and most mistakes in it are due to carelessness. Be care- 
ful to read over your work a second time. You can thus 
correct many mistakes yourself. Have a good dictionary at 
hand to use in case you are in doubt about the correct spell- 
ing of a word. 

Punctuation. Remember that every declarative sentence 
ends with a period. Use commas to make the meaning 
clear to the reader, to keep him from getting " mixed-up," 
or getting the wrong idea. Common sense should direct 
you to place them where they are most needed. Colons, 
semi-colons, dashes, etc., are very seldom used in the simpler 
forms of expression. 

Capitals. Bear in mind that every sentence should begin 
with a capital, and that every proper name and every word 
derived from a proper name should be capitalized. 

Complete Sentences. Take care to see that every sen- 
tence contains a subject and a predicate. 

Neatness. Neatness is also an important point. The 
paper you present to the teacher should be free from all 
splotches and should be carefully folded according to the 
directions given. The pages should be numbered and ar- 
ranged properly. 

Hand- Writing. Now is the time to improve your hand- 
writing. In this art, as in all others, practice makes per- 
fect. You will have frequent themes to write in the course 



226 INTRODUCTION 

of the year and should not lose this opportunity to improve 
in penmanship as well as in composition. 

Revision of Work. All themes should be written at least 
twice; the first time, rapidly with pencil; the second time, 
carefully with pen and ink. Read aloud what you have writ- 
ten. The ear will detect many mistakes that the eye has 
passed over. 



II 

THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH * 

In the Old Colony 1 days, in Plymouth the land of the Pil- 
grims, 
To and fro in a room of his simple and primitive dwelling, 
Clad in doublet and hose, and boots of Cordovan 2 leather, 
Strode, with a martial air, Miles Standish the Puritan Captain. 
Buried in thought he seemed, with his hands behind him, and 
pausing 5 

Ever and anon to behold his glittering weapons of warfare, 
Hanging in shining array along the walls of the chamber, — 
Cutlass and corselet of steel, and his trusty sword of Damas- 
cus, 3 

* Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine, in 
1807. Upon his graduation from Bowdoin College in 1825 he was 
elected to the professorship of modern languages and was given a 
three years' leave of absence in which to prepare himself for teaching. 
These three years were spent in Europe in travel and study. After 
teaching at Bowdoin for five years Longfellow was elected to the 
chair of modern languages at Harvard University; this position he 
held until 1854, when he resigned in order to devote himself entirely 
to literary work. He died in 1882. 

Longfellow is the most popular American poet He took the 
simple, homely joys and sorrows that are common to us all and ex- 
pressed them in natural, graceful verse. As a man he was gentle, 
simple, and sincere; and sincerity of both rhythm and thought are 
the most striking characteristics of his poetry. His best known 
longer poems are Evangeline, The Song of Hiawatha, and The Court- 
ship of Miles Standish, all of which are thoroughly American. 

1 Old Colony: Plymouth Colony was referred to as the Old 
Colony after the founding of Massachusetts Bay Colony. 

2 Cordovan: Cordova is a city in Spain noted for its manufacture 
of leather goods. 

3 Damascus: A city in Syria. 

227 



228 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Curved at the point and inscribed with its mystical Arabic 
sentence, 

While underneath, in a corner, were fowling-piece, musket, and 
matchlock. 10 

Short of stature he was, but strongly built and athletic, 

Broad in the shoulders, deep-chested, with muscles and sinews of 
iron; 

Brown as a nut was his face, but his russet beard was already 

Flaked with patches of snow, as hedges sometimes in Novem- 
ber. 

Near him was seated John Alden, his friend and household 
companion, 15 

Writing with diligent speed at a table of pine by the window; 

Fair-haired, azure-eyed, with delicate Saxon complexion, 

Having the dew of his youth, and the beauty thereof, as the 
captives 

Whom Saint Gregory 4 saw, and exclaimed, " Not Angles but 
Angels." 

Youngest of all was he of the men who came in the Mayflower. 

20 
Suddenly breaking the silence, the diligent scribe interrupt- 
ing, 

Spake, in the pride of his heart, Miles Standish the Captain of 
Plymouth. 

" Look at these arms," he said, " the warlike weapons that hang 
here 

Burnished and bright and clean, as if for parade or inspection ! 

This is the sword of Damascus I fought with in Flanders; 5 
this breastplate, 25 

Well I remember the day ! once saved my life in a skirmish ; 

Here in front you can see the very dint of the bullet 

Fired point-blank at my heart by a Spanish arcabucero. 6 

4 Saint Gregory: In the sixth century Pope Gregory is said to 
have seen some fair-haired captives in Rome and to have inquired 
who they were. Some one said that they were Angles, and the Pope 
replied, " Not Angles, but angels." 

5 Flanders: Formerly a part of Netherlands. 

6 Arcabucero: A Spanish musketeer ; in early days, a bowman. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 229 

Had it not been of sheer steel, the forgotten bones of Miles 
Standish 

Would at this moment be mould, in their grave in the Flem- 
ish 7 morasses." 30 

Thereupon answered John Alden, but looked not up from his 
writing : 

" Truly the breath of the Lord hath slackened the speed of the 
bullet ; 

He in his mercy preserved you, to be our shield and our 
weapon ! " 

Still the Captain continued, unheeding the words of the strip- 
ling: 

" See, how bright they are burnished, as if in an arsenal hang- 
ing; 35 

That is because I have done it myself, and not left it to others. 

Serve yourself, would you be well served, is an excellent 
adage ; 

So I take care of my arms, as you of your pens and your ink- 
horn. 

Then, too, there are my soldiers, my great, invincible army, 

Twelve men, all equipped, having each his rest and his match- 
lock, 40 

Eighteen shillings a month, together with diet and pillage, 

And, like Caesar, I know the name of each of my soldiers ! " 

This he said with a smile, that danced in his eyes, as the sun- 
beams 

Dance on the waves of the sea, and vanish again in a moment. 

Alden laughed as he wrote, and still the Captain continued: 45 

" Look ! you can see from this window my brazen howitzer 
planted 

High on the roof of the church, a preacher who speaks to the 
purpose, 

Steady, straightforward, and strong, with irresistible logic, 

Orthodox, flashing conviction right into the hearts of the 
heathen. 

Now we are ready, I think, for any assault of the Indians : 50 

7 Flemish: Pertaining to Flanders. 



230 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Let them come, if they like, and the sooner they try it the bet- 
ter, — 

Let them come if they like, be it sagamore, sachem, or pow- 
wow, 8 

Aspinet, Samoset, Corbitant, Squanto, or Tokamahamon ! " 9 

Long at the window he stood, and wistfully gazed on the 
landscape, 

Washed with a cold gray mist, the vapory breath of the east- 
wind, 55 

Forest and meadow and hill, and the steel-blue rim of the 
ocean, 

Lying silent and sad, in the afternoon shadows and sunshine. 

Over his countenance flitted a shadow like those on the land- 
scape, 

Gloom intermingled with light; and his voice was subdued with 
emotion, 

Tenderness, pity, regret, as after a pause he proceeded : 60 

" Yonder there, on the hill by the sea, lies buried Rose Stan- 
dish; 

Beautiful rose of love, that bloomed for me by the wayside ! 

She was the first to die of all who came in the Mayflower! 

Green above her is growing the field of wheat we have sown 
there, 

Better to hide from the Indian scouts the graves of our peo- 
ple, 65 

Lest they should count them and see how many already have 
perished ! " 

Sadly his face he averted, and strode up and down, and was 
thoughtful. 

Fixed to the opposite wall was a shelf of books, and among 
them 

8 Sagamore, Sachem, Pow-wow: Sagamore and sachem are the 
names for chieftain in some tribes of Indians. Pow-wow is a con- 
jurer or medicine-man. 

9 Aspinet, etc. : Names of Indians whom the Pilgrims knew. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 231 

Prominent three, distinguished alike for bulk and for bind- 
ing; 
Barriffe's " Artillery Guide/' and the " Commentaries of 

Caesar," 10 - 70 

Out of the Latin translated by Arthur Goldinge of London, 
And, as if guarded by these, between them was standing the 

Bible. 
Musing a moment before them, Miles Standish paused, as if 

doubtful 
Which of the three he should choose for his consolation and 

comfort, 
Whether the wars of the Hebrews, the famous campaigns of the 

Romans, 75 

Or the artillery practice, designed for belligerent Christians. 
Finally down from its shelf he dragged the ponderous Roman, 
Seated himself at the window, and opened the book, and in 

silence 
Turned o'er the well-worn leaves, where thumb-marks thick on 

the margin, 
Like the trample of feet, proclaimed the battle was hottest. 80 
Nothing was heard in the room but the hurrying pen of the 

stripling, 
Busily writing epistles important, to go by the Mayflower, 
Ready to sail on the morrow, or next day at latest, God will- 
ing! 
Homeward bound with the tidings of all that terrible winter, 
Letters written by Alden, and full of the name of Pris- 

cilia, 85 

Full of the name and the fame of the Puritan maiden Pris- 

cilla! 

II 

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP 

Nothing was heard in the room but the hurrying pen of the 
stripling, 

10 Commentaries of Ccesar: The same books that are studied in 
the schools to-day. 



232 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Or an occasional sigh from the laboring heart of the Captain, 

Reading the marvellous words and achievements of Julius 
Caesar. 

After a while he exclaimed, as he smote with his hand, palm 
downwards, 90 

Heavily on the page : " A wonderful man was this Caesar ! 

You are a writer, and I am a fighter, but here is a fellow 

Who could both write and fight, and in both was equally skil- 
ful ! " 

Straightway answered and spake John Alden, the comely, the 
youthful : 

" Yes, he was equally skilled, as you say, with his pen and his 
weapons. 95 

Somewhere have I read, but where I forget, he could dictate 

Seven letters at once, at the same time writing his memoirs." 

" Truly," continued the Captain, not heeding or hearing the 
other, 

" Truly a wonderful man was Caius Julius Caesar ! 

Better be first, he said, in a little Iberian village, 100 

Than be second in Rome, and I think he was right when he said 
it. 

Twice was he married before he was twenty, and many times 
after ; 

Battles five hundred he fought, and a thousand cities he con- 
quered ; 

He, too, fought in Flanders, as he himself has recorded; 

Finally he was stabbed by his friend, the orator Brutus ! 105 

Now, do you know what he did on a certain occasion in Flan- 
ders, 

When the rear-guard of his army retreated, the front giving 
way too, 

And the immortal Twelfth Legion 11 was crowded so closely 
together 

There was no room for their swords ? Why, he seized a shield 
from a soldier, 

^Twelfth Legion: Caesar's favorite legion. The incident here 
referred to may be found in the Commentaries, Book II, Chapter 
XXV. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 233 

Put himself straight at the head of his troops, and commanded 
the captains, no 

Calling on each by his name, to order forward the ensigns; 

Then to widen the ranks, and give more room for their 
weapons ; 

So he won the day, the battle of something-or-other. 

That's what I always say ; if you wish a thing to be well done, 

You must do it yourself, you must not leave it to others! "115 

All was silent again; the Captain continued his reading. 
Nothing was heard in the room but the hurrying pen of the 

stripling 
Writing epistles important to go next day by the Mayflower, 
Filled with the name and the fame of the Puritan maiden Pris- 

cilla ; 
Every sentence began or closed with the name of Priscilla, 120 
Till the treacherous pen, to which he confided the secret, 
Strove to betray it by singing and shouting the name of Pris- 
cilla ! 
Finally closing his book, with a bang of the ponderous cover, 
Sudden and loud as the sound of a soldier grounding his 

musket, 
Thus to the young man spake Miles Standish the Captain of 
Plymouth : 125 

" When you have finished your work, I have something im- 
portant to tell you. 
Be not however in haste; I can wait; I shall not be impa- 
tient ! " 
Straightway Alden replied, as he folded the last of his letters, 
Pushing his papers aside, and giving respectful attention : 
" Speak ; for whenever you speak, I am always ready to 
listen, 130 

Always ready to hear whatever pertains to Miles Standish." 
Thereupon answered the Captain, embarrassed, and culling his 

phrases : 
" 'Tis not good for a man to be alone, say the Scriptures. 
This I have said before, and again and again I repeat it ; 
Every hour in the day, I think it, and feel it, and say it. 135 



234 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Since Rose Standish died, my life has been weary and 

dreary ; 
Sick at heart have I been, beyond the healing of friendship. 
Oft in my lonely hours have I thought of the maiden Pris- 

cilla. 
She is alone in the world; her father and mother and brother 
Died in the winter together; I saw her going and coming, 140 
Now to the grave of the dead, and now to the bed of the dy- 
ing, 
Patient, courageous, and strong, and said to myself, that if ever 
There were angels on earth, as there are angels in heaven, 
Two have I seen and known ; and the angel whose name is Pris- 

cilla 
Holds in my desolate life the place which the other aban- 
doned. 145 
Long have I cherished the thought, but never have dared to 

reveal it, 
Being a coward in this, though valiant enough for the most 

part. 
Go to the damsel Priscilla, the loveliest maiden of Plymouth, 
Say that a blunt old Captain, a man not of words but of ac- 
tions, 
Offers his hand and his heart, the hand and heart of a soldier. 150 
Not in these words, you know, but this in short is my mean- 
ing; 
I am a maker of war, and not a maker of phrases. 
You, who are bred as a scholar, can say it in elegant language, 
Such as you read in your books of the pleadings and wooings of 

lovers, 
Such as you think best adapted to win the heart of a 
maiden." 155 

When he had spoken, John Alden, the fair-haired, taciturn 
stripling, 
All aghast at his words, surprised, embarrassed, bewildered, 
Trying to mask his dismay by treating the subject with light- 
ness, 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 235 

Trying to smile, and yet feeling his heart stand still in his 
bosom, 

Just as a timepiece stops in a house that is stricken by light- 
ning, 160 

Thus made answer and spake, or rather stammered than an- 
swered : 

" Such a message as that, I am sure I should mangle and mar it ; 

If you would have it well done, — I am only repeating your 
maxim, — 

You must do it yourself, you must not leave it to others ! " 

But with the air of a man whom nothing can turn from his 
purpose, 165 

Gravely shaking his head, made answer the Captain of Plym- 
outh : 

" Truly the maxim is good, and I do not mean to gainsay it ; 

But we must use it discreetly, and not waste powder for noth- 
ing. 

Now, as I said before, I was never a maker of phrases. 

I can march up to a fortress and summon the place to sur- 
render, 170 

But march up to a woman with such a proposal, I dare not. 

I'm not afraid of bullets, nor shot from the mouth of a can- 
non, 

But of a thundering ' No ! ' point-blank from the mouth of a 
woman, 

That I confess I'm afraid of, nor am I ashamed to confess it ! 

So you must grant my request, for you are an elegant 
scholar, 175 

Having the graces of speech, and skill in the turning of 
phrases." 

Taking the hand of his friend, who still was reluctant and 
doubtful, 

Holding it long in his own, and pressing it kindly, he added: 

" Though I have spoken thus lightly, yet deep is the feeling 
that prompts me ; 

Surely you cannot refuse what I ask in the name of our friend- 
ship ! " 180 



236 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Then made answer John Alden : " The name of friendship is 

sacred ; 
What you demand in that name, I have not the power to deny 

you ! " 
So the strong will prevailed, subduing and moulding the 

gentler, 
Friendship prevailed over love, and Alden went on his errand. 

Ill 

THE LOVER'S ERRAND 

So the strong will prevailed, and Alden went on his errand, 185 

Out of the street of the village, and into the paths of the forest, 

Into the tranquil woods, where bluebirds and robins were build- 
ing 

Towns in the populous trees, with hanging gardens 12 of ver- 
dure, 

Peaceful, aerial cities of joy and affection and freedom. 

All around him was calm, but within him commotion and con- 
flict, 190 

Love contending with friendship, and self with each generous 
impulse. 

To and fro in his breast his thoughts were heaving and dash- 
ing, 

As in a foundering ship, with every roll of the vessel, 

Washes the bitter sea, the merciless surge of the ocean ! 

" Must I relinquish it all/' he cried with a wild lamenta- 
tion,— 195 

"Must I relinquish it all, the joy, the hope, the illusion? 

Was it for this I have loved, and waited, and worshipped in 
silence? 

Was it for this I have followed the flying feet and the shadow 

Over the wintry sea, to the desolate shores of New England? 

Truly the heart is deceitful, and out of its depths of corrup- 
tion 200 

12 Hanging Gardens: Built by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, 
to please his wife, who came from a mountainous country. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 2tf 

Rise, like an exhalation, the misty phantoms of passion; 

Angels of light they seem, but are only delusions of Satan. 

All is clear to me now; I feel it, I see it distinctly! 

This is the hand of the Lord; it is laid upon me in anger, 

For I have followed too much the heart's desires and de- 
vices, 205 

Worshipping Astaroth 13 blindly, and impious idols of Baal. 

This is the cross I must bear; the sin and the swift retribu- 
tion." 

So through the Plymouth woods John Alden went on his er- 
rand; 

Crossing the brook at the ford, where it brawled over pebble 
and shallow, 

Gathering still, as he went, the Mayflowers blooming around 
him, 210 

Fragrant, filling the air with a strange and wonderful sweet- 
ness, 

Children lost in the woods, and covered with leaves in their 
slumber. 

" Puritan flowers," he said, " and the type of Puritan 
maidens, 

Modest and simple and sweet, the very type of Priscilla ! 

So I will take them to her ; to Priscilla the Mayflower of Plym- 
outh, 215 

Modest and simple and sweet, as a parting gift will I take 
them; 

Breathing their silent farewells, as they fade and wither and 
perish, 

Soon to be thrown away as is the heart of the giver." 

So through the Plymouth woods John Alden went on his er- 
rand; 

Came to an open space, and saw the disk of the ocean, 220 

Sailless, sombre and cold with the comfortless breath of the 
east-wind ; 

Saw the new-built house, and people at work in a meadow; 

13 Astaroth . . . Baal: Phoenician deities mentioned in the Bible. 



238 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Heard, as he drew near the door, the musical voice of Priscilla 

Singing the hundredth Psalm, the grand old Puritan an- 
them, 

Music that Luther 14 sang to the sacred words of the Psalm- 
ist, 15 225 

Full of the breath of the Lord, consoling and comforting 
many. 

Then, as he opened the door, he beheld the form of the 
maiden 

Seated beside her wheel, and the carded wool like a snow-drift 

Piled at her knee, her white hands feeding the ravenous 
spindle, 

While with her foot on the treadle she guided the wheel in 
its motion. 230 

Open wide on her lap lay the well-worn psalm-book of Ains- 
worth, 16 

Printed in Amsterdam, 17 Jjie words and the music together, 

Rough-hewn, angular notes, like stones in the wall of a church- 
yard, 

Darkened and overhung by the running vine of the verses. 

Such was the book from whose pages she sang the old Puritan 
anthem, 235 

She, the Puritan girl, in the solitude of the forest, 

Making the humble house and the modest apparel of home- 
spun 

Beautiful with her beauty, and rich with the wealth of her 
being ! 

Over him rushed, like a wind that is keen and cold and re- 
lentless, 

Thoughts of what might have been, and the weight and woe of 
his errand; 240 

All the dreams that had faded, and all the hopes that had van- 
ished, 

14 Luther: The great Protestant reformer (1483-1546). 
^Psalmist: David. 

16 Ainsworth: Driven from England because of his religion; he 
wrote on religious topics in Holland. 
17 Amsterdam: The well-known city in Holland, 



THE COURTSHIP OP MILES STANDISH 239 

All his life henceforth a dreary and tenantless mansion, 

Haunted by vain regrets, and pallid, sorrowful faces. 

Still he said to himself, and almost fiercely he said it, 

" Let not him that putteth his hand to the plough look back- 
wards ; 245 

Though the ploughshare cut through the flowers of life to its 
fountains, 

Though it pass o'er the graves of the dead and the hearths of 
the living, 

It is the will of the Lord ; and his mercy endureth forever ! " 

So he entered the house; and the hum of the wheel and the 
singing 

Suddenly ceased ; for Priscilla, aroused by his step on the thresh- 
old, 250 

Rose as he entered and gave him her hand, in signal of wel- 
come, 

Saying, " I knew it was you, when I heard your step in the 
passage ; 

For I was thinking of you, as I sat there singing and spin- 
ning." 

Awkward and dumb with delight, that a thought of him had 
been mingled 

Thus in the sacred psalm, that came from the heart of the 
maiden, 255 

Silent before her he stood, and gave her the flowers for an 
answer, 

Finding no words for his thought. He remembered that day 
in the winter, 

After the first great snow, when he broke a path from the 
village, 

Reeling and plunging along through the drifts that encumbered 
the doorway, 

Stamping the snow from his feet as he entered the house, and 
Priscilla 260 

Laughed at his snowy locks, and gave him a seat by the fire- 
side, 



240 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Grateful and pleased to know he had thought of her in the 

snow-storm. 
Had he but spoken then ! perhaps not in vain had he spoken ; 
Now it was all too late ; the golden moment had vanished ! 
So he stood there abashed, and gave her the flowers for an 

answer. 265 

Then they sat down and talked of the birds and the beautiful 
springtime ; 

Talked of their friends at home, and the Mayflower that sailed 
on the morrow. 

" I have been thinking all day," said gently the Puritan 
maiden, 

" Dreaming all night, and thinking all day, of the hedgerows of 
England, — 

They are in blossom now, and the country is all like a gar- 
den ; 270 

Thinking of lanes and fields, and the song of the lark and the 
linnet, 

Seeing the village street, and familiar faces of neighbors 

Going about as of old, and stopping to gossip together, 

And, at the end of the street, the village church, with the 
ivy 

Climbing the old gray tower, and the quiet graves in the church- 
yard. 275 

Kind are the people I live with, and dear to me my religion; 

Still my heart is so sad, that I wish myself back in Old Eng- 
land. 

You will say it is wrong, but I cannot help it: I almost 

Wish myself back in Old England, I feel so lonely and 
wretched." 

Thereupon answered the youth : " Indeed I do not condemn 
you ; 280 

Stouter hearts than a woman's have quailed in this terrible 
winter. 

Yours is tender and trusting, and needs a stronger to lean on; 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 241 

So I have come to you now, with an offer and proffer of mar- 
riage 

Made by a good man and true, Miles Standish the Captain of 
Plymouth ! " 

Thus he delivered his message, the dexterous writer of let- 
ters, — 285 

Did not embellish the theme, nor array it in beautiful phrases, 

But came straight to the point, and blurted it out like a school- 
boy; 

Even the Captain himself could hardly have said it more 
bluntly. 

Mute with amazement and sorrow, Priscilla the Puritan 
maiden 

Looked into Alden's face, her eyes dilated with wonder, 290 

Feeling his words like a blow, that stunned her and rendered 
her speechless ; 

Till at length she exclaimed, interrupting the ominous silence: 

" If the great Captain of Plymouth is so very eager to wed me, 

Why does he not come himself, and take the trouble to woo 
me? 

If I am not worth the wooing, I surely am not worth the win- 
ning !" 295 

Then John Alden began explaining and smoothing the matter, 

Making it worse as he went, by saying the Captain was busy, — 

Had no time for such things; — such things ! the words grating 
harshly 

Fell on the ear of Priscilla; and swift as a flash she made an- 
swer: 

" Has he no time for such things, as you call it, before he is 
married, 300 

Would he be likely to find it, or make it, after the wedding? 

That is the way with you men; you don't understand us, you 
cannot. 

When you have made up your minds, after thinking of this one 
and that one, 

Choosing, selecting, rejecting, comparing one with an 
other, 



242 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Then you make known your desire, with abrupt and sudden 

avowal, 305 

And are offended and hurt, and indignant perhaps, that a 

woman 
Does not respond at once to a love that she never suspected, 
Does not attain at a bound the height to which you have been 

climbing. 
This is not right nor just; for surely a woman's affection 
Is not a thing to be asked for, and had for only the asking. 310 
When one is truly in love, one not only says it, but shows it. 
Had he but waited awhile, had he only showed that he loved 

me, 
Even this Captain of yours — who knows ? — at last might have 

won me, 
Old and rough as he is ; but now it never can happen." 

Still John Alden went on, unheeding the words of Pris- 
cilla, 315 

Urging the suit of his friend, explaining, persuading, expand- 
ing; 
Spoke of his courage and skill, and of all his battles in Flan- 
ders, 
How with the people of God he had chosen to suffer affliction, 
How, in return for his zeal, they had made him Captain of 

Plymouth ; 
He was a gentleman born, could trace his pedigree plainly 320 
Back to Hugh Standish of Duxbury Hall, in Lancashire, Eng- 
land, 
Who was the son of Ralph, and the grandson of Thurston de 

Standish ; 
Heir unto vast estates, of which he was basely defrauded, 
Still bore the family arms, and had for his crest a cock argent 
Combed and wattled gules, and all the rest of the blazon. 18 325 

18 Family Arms: The coat of arms is an emblem of nobility which 
only those of aristocratic birth have a right to use. Each family has 
its own emblem. Combed and wattled gules refers to the red flesh 
about the head of the cock. Blazon means coat of arms. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 243 

He was a man of honor, of noble and generous nature ; 

Though he was rough, he was kindly ; she knew how during the 
winter 

He had attended the sick, with a hand as gentle as woman's; 

Somewhat hasty and hot, he could not deny it, and head- 
strong, 

Stern as a soldier might be, but hearty, and placable al- 
ways, 330 

Not to be laughed at and scorned, because he was little of 
stature ; 

For he was great of heart, magnanimous, courtly, courageous; 

Any woman in Plymouth, nay, any woman in England, 

Might be happy and proud to be called the wife of Miles Stand- 
ish ! 

But as he warmed and glowed, in his simple and eloquent 
language, 335 

Quite forgetful of self, and full of the praise of his rival, 
Archly the maiden smiled, and, with eyes overrunning with laugh- 
ter, 
Said, in a tremulous voice, " Why don't you speak for yourself, 
John?" 

IV. 

JOHN ALDEN 

Into the open air John Alden, perplexed and bewildered, 
Rushed like a man insane, and wandered alone by the sea- 
side ; 340 
Paced up and down the sands, and bared his head to the east 

wind, 
Cooling his heated brow, and the fire and fever within him. 
Slowly, as out of the heavens, with apocalyptical 19 splendors, 
Sank the City of God, in the vision of John the Apostle, 

19 Apocalyptical: The Book of Revelation in the New Testament 
is sometimes called the Apocalypse. 



244 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

So, with its cloudy walls of chrysolite, jasper, and sap- 
phire, 20 345 
Sank the broad red sun, and over its turrets uplifted 
Glimmered the golden reed of the angel who measured the 
city. 

" Welcome, O wind of the East ! " he exclaimed in his wild 
exultation, 

" Welcome, O wind of the East, from the caves of the misty 
Atlantic ! 

Blowing o'er fields of dulse, 21 and measureless meadows of sea- 
grass, 350 

Blowing o'er rocky wastes, and the grottos and gardens of 
ocean ! 

Lay thy cold, moist hand on my burning forehead, and wrap 
me 

Close in thy garments of mist, to allay the fever within 
me!" 

Like an awakened conscience, the sea was moaning and 
tossing, 

Beating remorseful and loud the mutable sands of the sea- 
shore. 355 

Fierce in his soul was the struggle and tumult of passions con- 
tending ; 

Love triumphant and crowned, and friendship wounded and 
bleeding, 

Passionate cries of desire, and importunate pleadings of 
duty ! 

" Is it my fault," he said, " that the maiden has chosen between 
us? 

Is it my fault that he failed, — my fault that I am the vic- 
tor?" 360 

Then within him there thundered a voice, like the voice of the 
Prophet : 

20 Chrysolite, jasper and sapphire: Precious stones. 

21 Dulse: A coarse red sea-weed used for food. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STAND1SH 245 

" It hath displeased the Lord ! " — and he thought of David's 
transgression, 

Bathsheba's beautiful face, and his friend in the front of the 
battle ! 

Shame and confusion of guilt, and abasement and self-con- 
demnation, 

Overwhelmed him at once; and he cried in the deepest con- 
trition : 365 

" It hath displeased the Lord ! It is the temptation of Sa- 
tan!" 

Then, uplifting his head, he looked at the sea, and beheld 
there 

Dimly the shadowy form of the Mayflower riding at 
anchor, 

Rocked on the rising tide, and ready to sail on the morrow ; 

Heard the voices of men through the mist, the rattle of cord- 
age 370 

Thrown on the deck, the shouts of the mate, and the sailors' 
"Ay, ay, Sir!" 

Clear and distinct, but not loud, in the dripping air of the 
twilight. 

Still for a moment he stood, and listened, and stared at the 
vessel, 

Then went hurriedly on, as one who, seeing a phantom, 

Stops, then quickens his pace, and follows the beckoning 
shadow. 375 

" Yes, it is plain to me now," he murmured ; " the hand of 
the Lord is 

Leading me out of the land of darkness, the bondage of error, 

Through the sea, that shall lift the walls of its waters around 
me, 

Hiding me, cutting me off, from the cruel thoughts that pursue 
me. 

Back will I go o'er the ocean, this dreary land will aban- 
don, 380 

Her whom I may not love, and him whom my heart has of- 
fended. 



246 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANMSH 

Better to be in my grave in the green old churchyard in Eng- 
land, 

Close by my mother's side, and among the dust of my kin- 
dred ; 

Better be dead and forgotten, than living in shame and dis- 
honor ! 

Sacred and safe and unseen, in the dark of the narrow cham- 
ber 385 

With me my secret shall lie, like a buried jewel that glimmers 

Bright on the hand that is dust, in the chambers of silence and 
darkness, — 

Yes, as the marriage ring of the great espousal hereafter ! " 

Thus as he spake, he turned, in the strength of his strong 
resolution, 

Leaving behind him the shore, and hurried along in the twi- 
light, 390 

Through the congenial gloom of the forest silent and sombre, 

Till he beheld the lights in the seven houses of Plymouth, 

Shining like seven stars in the dusk and mist of the eve- 
ning. 

Soon he entered his door, and found the redoubtable Captain 

Sitting alone, and absorbed in the martial pages of Caesar. 395 

Fighting some great campaign in Hainault or Brabant 22 or 
Flanders. 

" Long have you been on your errand," he said with a cheery 
demeanor, 

Even as one who is waiting an answer, and fears not the 
issue. 

" Not far off is the house, although the woods are between 
us; 

But you have lingered so long, that while you were going and 
coming 400 

I have fought ten battles and sacked and demolished a city. 

Come, sit down, and in order relate to me all that has hap- 
pened." 

22 Hainault or Brabant: Counties in the Netherlands. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 247 

Then John Alden spake, and related the wondrous adven- 
ture 

From beginning to end, minutely, just as it happened; 

How he had seen Priscilla, and how he had sped in her court- 
ship, 405 

Only smoothing a little, and softening down her refusal. 

But when he came at length to the words Priscilla had spoken, 

Words so tender and cruel, "Why don't you speak for your- 
self, John?" 

Up leaped the Captain of Plymouth, and stamped on the floor, 
till his armor 

Clanged on the wall, where it hung, with a sound of sinister 
omen. 23 410 

All his pent-up wrath burst forth in a sudden explosion, 

E'en as a hand-grenade, that scatters destruction round it. 

Wildly he shouted, and loud : " John Alden ! you have betrayed 
me! 

Me, Miles Standish, your friend! have supplanted, defrauded, 
betrayed me ! 

One of my ancestors ran his sword through the heart of Wat 
Tyler; *4 . 415 

Who shall prevent me from running my own through the heart 
of a traitor? 

Yours is the greater treason, for yours is a treason to friend- 
ship ! 

You, who lived under my roof, whom I cherished and loved 
as a brother; 

You, who have fed at my board, and drunk at my cup, to whose 
keeping 

I have intrusted my honor, my thoughts the most sacred and 
secret, — 420 

You too, Brutus ! 25 ah, woe to the name of friendship here- 
after ! 

23 Sinister omen: A bad sign. 

24 Wat Tyler: Wat Tyler led the common people of England in a 
rebellion against the king in 1381. 

25 You too, Brutus: The words of Caesar when he saw Brutus 
stab him. 



248 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Brutus was Caesar's friend, and you were mine, but hence- 
forward 

Let there be nothing between us save war, and implacable 
hatred ! " 

So spake the Captain of Plymouth, and strode about in the; 
chamber, 

Chafing and choking with rage; like cords were the veins on 
his temples. 425 

But in the midst of his anger a man appeared at the doorway, 

Bringing in uttermost haste a message of urgent importance, 

Rumors of danger and war and hostile incursions of Indians ! 

Straightway the Captain paused, and, without further question 
or parley, 

Took from the nail on the wall his sword with its scabbard of 
iron, 430 

Buckled the belt round his waist, and, frowning fiercely, de- 
parted. 

Alden was left alone. He heard the clank of the scabbard 

Growing fainter and fainter, and dying away in the distance. 

Then he arose from his seat, and looked forth into the dark- 
ness, 

Felt the cool air blow on his cheek, that was hot with the 
insult, 435 

Lifted his eyes to the heavens, and, folding his hands as in 
childhood, 

Prayed in the silence of night to the Father who seeth in 
secret. 

Meanwhile the choleric Captain strode wrathful away to the 
council, 

Found it already assembled, impatiently waiting his coming ; 

Men in the middle of life, austere and grave in deport- 
ment, 440 

Only one of them old, the hill that was nearest to heaven, 

Covered with snow, but erect, the excellent Elder of Plym- 
outh. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 249 

God had sifted three kingdoms to find the wheat for this plant- 
ing, 

Then had sifted the wheat, as the living seed of a nation ; 

So say the chronicles old, and such is the faith of the people ! 445 

Near them was standing an Indian, in attitude stern and de- 
fiant, 

Naked down to the waist, and grim and ferocious in aspect ; 

While on the table before them was lying unopened a Bible, 

Ponderous, bound in leather, brass-studded, printed in Hol- 
land, 

And beside it, outstretched, the skin of a rattlesnake 26 glit- 
tered, 450 

Filled, like a quiver, with arrows: a signal and challenge of 
warfare, 

Brought by the Indian, and speaking with arrowy tongues of 
defiance. 

This Miles Standish beheld, as he entered, and heard them 
debating 

What were an answer befitting the hostile message and men- 
ace, 

Talking of this and of that, contriving, suggesting, object- 
ing; 455 

One voice only for peace, and that the voice of the Elder, 

Judging it wise and well that some at least were converted, 

Rather than any were slain, for this was but Christian be- 
havior ! 

Then out spake Miles Standish, the stalwart Captain of Plym- 
outh, 

Muttering deep in his throat, for his voice was husky with 
anger, 460 

" What ! do you mean to make war with milk and the water of 
roses ? 

Is it to shoot red squirrels you have your howitzer planted 

There on the roof of the church, or is it to shoot red devils ? 

Truly the only tongue that is understood by a savage 

2e Skin of a rattlesnake: One of the various methods of declar- 
ing war used among the Indians. 



250 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Must be the tongue of fire that speaks from the mouth of the 
cannon ! " 465 

Thereupon answered and said the excellent Elder of Plymouth, 
Somewhat amazed and alarmed at this irreverent language : 
" Not so thought Saint Paul, nor yet the other Apostles ; 
Not from the cannon's mouth were the tongues of fire they spake 

with ! " . 
But unheeded fell this mild rebuke on the Captain, 470 

Who had advanced to the table, and thus continued discoursing : 
" Leave this matter to me, for to me by right it pertaineth. 
War is a terrible trade; but in the cause that is righteous, 
Sweet is the smell of powder; and thus I answer the chal- 
lenge ! " 

Then from the rattlesnake's skin, with a sudden, contempt- 
uous gesture, 475 
Jerking the Indian arrows, he filled it with powder and bullets 
Full to the very jaws, and handed it back to the savage, 
Saying, in thundering tones : " Here, take it ! this is your an- 
swer ! " 
Silently out of the room then glided the glistening savage, 
Bearing the serpent's skin, and seeming himself like a serpent, 480 
Winding his sinuous way in the dark to the depths of the 
forest. 



THE SAILING OF THE MAYFLOWER 

Just in the gray of the dawn, as the mists uprose from the 
meadows, 

There was a stir and a sound in the slumbering village of 
Plymouth ; 

Clanging and clicking of arms, and the order imperative, " For- 
ward!" 

Given in tone suppressed, a tramp of feet, and then silence. 485 

Figures ten, in the mist, marched slowly out of the village. 

Standish the stalwart it was, with eight of his valorous army, 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 251 

Led by their Indian guide, by Hobomok, friend of the white 

men, 
Northward marching to quell the sudden revolt of the sav- 
age. 
Giants they seemed in the mist, or the mighty men of King 
David, 490 

Giants in heart they were, who believed in God and the 

Bible- 
Ay, who believed in the smiting of Midianites and Philis- 
tines. 27 
Over them gleamed far off the crimson banners of morning; 
Under them loud on the sands, the serried billows, advancing, 
Fired along the line, and in regular order retreated. 495 

Many a mile had they marched, when at length the village 

of Plymouth 
Woke from its sleep, and arose, intent on its manifold labors. 
Sweet was the air and soft; and slowly the smoke from the 

chimneys 
Rose over roofs of thatch, and pointed steadily eastward; 
Men came forth from the doors, and paused and talked of the 

weather, 500 

Said that the wind had changed, and was blowing fair for the 

Mayflower; 
Talked of their Captain's departure, and all the dangers that 

menaced, 
He being gone, the town, and what should be done in his 

absence. 
Merrily sang the birds, and the tender voices of women 
Consecrated with hymns the common cares of the house- 
hold. 505 
Out of the sea rose the sun, and the billows rejoiced at his 

coming ; 
Beautiful were his feet on the purple tops of the mountains; 
Beautiful on the sails of the Mayflower riding at anchor, 

27 Midianites and Philistines: Enemies of the Israelites mentioned 
in the Bible. 



252 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Battered and blackened and worn by all the storms of the 

winter. 
Loosely against her masts was hanging and flapping her can- 
vas, 510 
Rent by so many gales, and patched by the hands of the sailors, 
Suddenly from her side, as the sun rose over the ocean, 
Darted a puff of smoke, and floated seaward; anon rang 
Loud over field and forest the cannon's roar, and the echoes 
Heard and repeated the sound, the signal-gun of departure ! 515 
Ah ! but with louder echoes replied the hearts of the people ! 
Meekly, in voices subdued, the chapter was read from the 

Bible, 
Meekly the prayer was begun, but ended in fervent entreaty ! 
Then from their houses in haste came forth the Pilgrims of 

Plymouth, 
Men and women and children, all hurrying down to the sea- 
shore, 520 
Eager with tearful eyes, to say farewell to the May-flower, 
Homeward bound o'er the sea, and leaving them here in the 
desert. 

Foremost among them was Alden. All night he had lain 
without slumber, 

Turning and tossing about in the heat and unrest of his fe- 
ver. 

He had beheld Miles Standish, who came back late from the 
council, 525 

Stalking into the room, and heard him mutter and murmur, 

Sometimes it seemed a prayer, and sometimes it sounded like 
swearing. 

Once he had come to the bed, and stood there a moment in 
silence ; 

Then he had turned away, and said : " I will not awake him ; 

Let him sleep on, it is best; for what is the use of more talk- 
ing ! " 530 

Then he extinguished the light, and threw himself down on 
his pallet, 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 253 

Dressed as he was, and ready to start at the break of the 
morning, — 

Covered himself with the cloak he had worn in his campaigns 
in Flanders, — 

Slept as a soldier sleeps in his bivouac, 28 ready for action. 

But "with the dawn he arose; in the twilight Alden beheld 
him 535 

Put on his corselet of steel, and all the rest of his armor, 

Buckle about his waist his trusty blade of Damascus, 

Take from the corner his musket, and so stride out of the 
chamber. 

Often the heart of the youth had burned and yearned to em- 
brace him, 

Often his lips had essayed to speak, imploring for pardon; 540 

All the old friendship came back with its tender and grateful 
emotions ; 

But his pride overmastered the nobler nature within him, — 

Pride, and the sense of his wrong, and the burning fire of the 
insult. 

So he beheld his friend departing in anger, but spake not, 

Saw him go forth to danger, perhaps to death, and he spake 
not ! 545 

Then he arose from his bed, and heard what the people were 
saying, 

Joined in the talk at the door, with Stephen and Richard and 
Gilbert, 

Joined in the morning prayer, and in the reading of Scripture. 

And, with the others, in haste went hurrying down to the sea- 
shore, 

Down to the Plymouth Rock, that had been to their feet as a 
doorstep 550 

Into a world unknown, — the corner-stone of a nation! 

There with his boat was the Master, already a little impatient 
Lest he should lose the tide, or the wind might shift to the 
eastward, 

28 Bivouac; An encampment of soldiers* 



254 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Square-built, hearty, and strong, with an odor of ocean about 

him, 
Speaking with this one and that, and cramming letters and 
parcels 555 

Into his pockets capacious, and messages mingled together 
Into his narrow brain, till at last he was wholly bewildered. 
Nearer the boat stood Alden, with one foot placed on the gun- 
wale, 
One still firm on the rock, and talking at times with the sailors, 
Seated erect on the thwarts, all ready and eager for starting. 560 
He too was eager to go, and thus put an end to his anguish, 
Thinking to fly from despair, that swifter than keel is or canvas, 
Thinking to drown in the sea the ghost that would rise and 

pursue him. 
But as he gazed on the crowd, he beheld the form of Priscilla 
Standing dejected among them, unconscious of all that was 
passing. 565 

Fixed were her eyes upon his, as if she divined his intention, 
Fixed with a look so sad, so reproachful, imploring, and patient, 
That with a sudden revulsion his heart recoiled from its purpose, 
As from the verge of a crag, where one step more is destruction. 
Strange is the heart of man, with its quick, mysterious in- 
stincts ! 570 
Strange is the life of man, and fatal or fated are moments, 
Whereupon turn, as on hinges, the gates of the wall adaman- 
tine ! 29 
" Here I remain ! " he exclaimed, as he looked at the heavens 

above him, 
Thanking the Lord whose breath had scattered the mist and 

the madness, 
Wherein, blind and lost, to death he was staggering headlong. 575 
" Yonder snow-white cloud, that floats in the ether above me, 
Seems like a hand that is pointing and beckoning over the 

ocean. 
There is another hand, that is not so spectral and ghost-like, 
Holding me, drawing me back, and clasping mine for protection. 

29 Adamantine: Adamant is a very hard stone. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 255 

Float, O hand of cloud, and vanish away in ether ! 

Roll thyself up like a fist, to threaten and daunt me ; I heed not 

Either your warning or menace, or any omen of evil ! 

There is no land so sacred, no air so pure and so wholesome, 

As is the air she breathes, and the soil that is pressed by her 
footsteps. 

Here for her sake will I stay, and like an invisible pres- 
ence . 585 

Hover around her forever, protecting, supporting her weakness ; 

Yes ! as my foot was the first that stepped on this rock at the 
landing, 

So, with the blessing of God, shall it be the last at the leaving !" 

Meanwhile the Master alert, but with dignified air and im- 
portant, 
Scanning with watchful eye the tide and the wind and the 
weather, 590 

Walked about on the sands, and the people crowded around 

him 
Saying a few last words, and enforcing his careful remem- 
brance. 
Then, taking each by the hand, as if he were grasping a tiller, 
Into the boat he sprang, and in haste shoved off to his vessel, 
Glad in his heart to get rid of all this worry and flurry, 595 

Glad to be gone from a land of sand and sickness and sorrow, 
Short allowance of victual, and plenty of nothing but Gospel ! 
Lost in the sound of the oars was the last farewell of the 

Pilgrims. 
O strong hearts and true ! not one went back in the May- 
flower ! 
No, not one looked back, who had set his hand to this plough- 
ing ! 600 

Soon were heard on board the shouts and songs of the 

sailors 
Heaving the windlass round, and hoisting the ponderous anchor. 
Then the yards were braced, and all sails set to the west wind, 
Blowing steady and strong; and the Mayflower sailed from 

the harbor, 



256 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Rounded the point of the Gurnet, and leaving far to the south- 
ward 605 
Island and cape of sand, and the Field of the First Encounter, 
Took the wind on her quarter, and stood for the open Atlantic, 
Borne on the send of the sea, and the swelling hearts of the 
Pilgrims. 

Long in silence they watched the receding sail of the vessel, 

Much endeared to them all, as something living and hu- 
man; 610 

Then, as if filled with the spirit, and wrapt in a vision pro- 
phetic, 

Baring his hoary head, the excellent Elder of Plymouth 

Said, " Let us pray ! " and they prayed, and thanked the Lord 
and took courage. 

Mournfully sobbed the waves at the base of the rock, and 
above them 

Bowed and whispered the wheat on the hill of death, and 
their kindred 615 

Seemed to awake in their graves, and to join in the prayer 
that they uttered. 

Sun-illumined and white, on the eastern verge of the ocean 

Gleamed the departing sail, like a marble slab in a graveyard ; 

Buried beneath it lay forever all hope of escaping. 

Lo ! as they turned to depart, they saw the form of an 
Indian, 620 

Watching them from the hill; but while they spake with each 
other, 

Pointing with outstretched hands, and saying, " Look ! " he had 
vanished. 

So they returned to their homes ; but Alden lingered a little, 

Musing alone on the shore, and watching the wash of the 
billows 

Round the base of the rock, and the sparkle and flash of the 
sunshine, 625 

Like the spirit of God, moving visibly over the waters. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 257 

VI 

PRISCILLA 

Thus for a while he stood, and mused by the shore of the 

ocean, 
Thinking of many things, and most of all of Priscilla; 
And as if thought had the power to draw to itself, like the 

loadstone, 
Whatsoever it touches, by subtle laws of its nature, 630 

Lo ! as he turned to depart, Priscilla was standing beside him. 

" Are you so much offended, you will not speak to me ? " 
said she. 

"Am I so much to blame, that yesterday, when you were 
pleading 

Warmly the cause of another, my heart, impulsive and way- 
ward, 

Pleaded your own, and spake out, forgetful perhaps of deco- 
rum? 635 

Certainly you can forgive me for speaking so frankly, for say- 
ing 

What I ought not to have said, yet now I can never unsay it ; 

For there are moments in life, when the heart is so full of 
emotion, 

That if by chance it be shaken, or into its depths like a pebble 

Drops some careless word, it overflows, and its secret, 640 

Spilt on the ground like water, can never be gathered together. 

Yesterday I was shocked, when I heard you speak of Miles 
Standish, 

Praising his virtues, transforming his very defects into vir- 
tues, 

Praising his courage and strength, and even his fighting in 
Flanders, 

As if by fighting alone you could win the heart of a 
woman, 645 

Quite overlooking yourself and the rest, in exalting your hero. 



258 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Therefore I spake as I did, by an irresistible impulse. 

You will forgive me, I hope, for the sake of the friendship 

between us, 
Which is too true and too sacred to be so easily broken ! " 
Thereupon answered John Alden, the scholar, the friend of 
Miles Standish : 650 

" I was not angry with you, with myself alone I was angry, 
Seeing how badly I managed the matter I had in my keeping." 
" No I" interrupted the maiden, with answer prompt and de- 
cisive ; 
" No ; you were angry with me, for speaking so frankly and 

freely. 
It was wrong, I acknowledge ; for it is the fate of a woman 655 
Long to be patient and silent, to wait like a ghost that is 

speechless, 
Till some questioning voice dissolves the spell of its silence. 
Hence is the inner life of so many suffering women 
Sunless and silent and deep, like subterranean rivers 
Running through caverns of darkness, unheard, unseen, and 
unfruitful, 660 

Chafing their channels of stone, with endless and profitless 

murmurs/' 
Thereupon answered John Alden, the young man, the lover 

of women: 
" Heaven forbid it, Priscilla ; and truly they seem to me always 
More like the beautiful river that watered the garden of Eden, 
More like the river Euphrates, 30 through deserts of Havilah 
flowing, 665 

Filling the land with delight, and memories sweet of the gar- 
den ! " 
" Ah, by these words, I can see," again interrupted the maiden, 
" How very little you prize me, or care for what I am saying. 
When from the depths of my heart, in pain and with secret 
misgiving, 

30 Euphrates: This river flows into the Persian Gulf. The gar- 
den of Eden is supposed by some to have been in the valley of the 
Euphrates. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 259 

Frankly I speak to you, asking for sympathy only and kind- 
ness, 670 
Straightway you take up my words, that are plain and direct 

and in earnest, 
Turn them away from their meaning, and answer with flatter- 
ing phrases. 
This is not right, is not just, is not true to the best that is in you ; 
For I know and esteem you, and feel that your nature is noble, 
Lifting mine up to a higher, a more ethereal level. 675 

Therefore I value your friendship, and feel it perhaps the more 

keenly 
If you say aught that implies I am only as one among many, 
If you make use of those common and complimentary phrases 
Most men think so fine, in dealing and speaking with women, 
But which women reject as insipid, if not as insulting." 680 

Mute and amazed was Alden; and listened and looked at 

Priscilla, 
Thinking he never had seen her more fair, more divine in her 

beauty. 
He who but yesterday pleaded so glibly the cause of another, 
Stood there embarrassed and silent, and seeking in vain for an 

answer. 
So the maiden went on, and little divined or imagined 685 

What was at work in his heart, that made him so awkward and 

speechless. 
" Let us, then, be what we are, and speak what we think, and 

in all things 
Keep ourselves loyal to truth, and the sacred professions of 

friendship. 
It is no secret I tell you, nor am I ashamed to declare it: 
I have liked to be with you, to see you, to speak with you 

always. 690 

So I was hurt at your words, and a little affronted to hear 

you 
Urge me to marry your friend, though he were the Captain 

Miles Standish. 



260 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

For I must tell you the truth ; much more to me is your friend- 
ship 

Than all the love he could give, were he twice the hero you 
think him." 

Then she extended her hand, and Alden, who eagerly grasped 
it, 695 

Felt all the wounds in his heart, that were aching and bleeding 
so sorely, 

Healed by the touch of that hand, and he said, with a voice 
full of feeling: 

" Yes, we must ever be friends ; and of all who offer you 
friendship 

Let me be ever the first, the truest, the nearest and dearest ! " 

Casting a farewell look at the glimmering sail of the May- 
flower, 700 
Distant, but still in sight, and sinking below the horizon, 
Homeward together they walked, with a strange, indefinite 

feeling, 
That all the rest had departed and left them alone in the desert. 
But, as they went through the fields in the blessing and smile 

of the sunshine, 
Lighter grew their hearts, and Priscilla said very archly: 705 
" Now that our terrible Captain has gone in pursuit of the 

Indians, 
Where he is happier far than he would be commanding a 

household, 
You may speak boldly, and tell me of all that happened be- 
tween you, 
When you returned last night, and said how ungrateful you 

found me." 
Thereupon answered John Alden, and told her the whole of 

the story,— 710 

Told her his own despair, and the direful wrath of Miles 

Standish. 
Whereat the maiden smiled, and said between laughing and 

earnest, 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 261 

" He is a little chimney, and heated hot in a moment ! " 

But as he gently rebuked her, and told her how he had suf- 
fered, — 

How he had even determined to sail that day in the May- 
flower, 715 

And had remained for her sake, on hearing the dangers that 
threatened, — 

All her manner was changed, and she said with a faltering 
accent, 

" Truly I thank you for this : how good you have been to me 
always ! " 

Thus, as a pilgrim devout, who toward Jerusalem journeys, 
Taking three steps in advance, and one reluctantly back- 
ward, 720 
Urged by importunate zeal, and withheld by pangs of con- 
trition ; 
Slowly but steadily onward, receding yet ever advancing, 
Journeyed this Puritan youth to the Holy Land of his long- 
ings, 
Urged by the fervor of love, and withheld by remorseful mis- 
givings. 

VII 

THE MARCH OF MILES STANDISH 

Meanwhile the stalwart Miles Standish was marching stead- 
ily northward, 725 

Winding through the forest and swamp, and along the trend of 
the seashore, 

All day long, with hardly a halt, the fire of his anger 

Burning and crackling within, and the sulphurous odor of 
powder 

Seeming more sweet to his nostrils than all the scents of the 
forest. 

Silent and moody he went, and much he revolved his dis- 
comfort ; 730 



262 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

He who was used to success, and to easy victories always, 
Thus to be flouted, rejected, and laughed. to scorn by a maiden, 
Thus to be mocked and betrayed by the friend whom most he 

had trusted ! 
Ah ! 'twas too much to be borne, and he fretted and chafed in 

his armor ! 

" I alone am to blame," he muttered, u for mine was the 

folly. 735 

What has a rough old soldier, grown grim and gray in the 

harness, 
Used to the camp and its ways, to do with the wooing of 

maidens ? 
'Twas but a dream, — let it pass, — let it vanish like so many 

others ! 
What I thought was a flower, is only a weed, and is worthless ; 
Out of my heart will I pluck it, and throw it away, and hence- 
forward 740 
Be but a fighter of battles, a lover and wooer of dangers." 
Thus he revolved in his mind his sorry defeat and discomfort, 
While he was marching by day or lying at night in the forest, 
Looking up at the trees and the constellations beyond them. 

After a three days' march he came to an Indian encamp- 
ment 745 

Pitched on the edge of a meadow, between the sea and the 
forest ; 

Women at work by the tents, and warriors, horrid with war- 
paint, 

Seated about a fire, and smoking and talking together ; 

Who, when they saw from afar the sudden approach of the 
white men, 

Saw the flash of the sun on breastplate and sabre and mus- 
ket, 750 

Straightway leaped to their feet, and two, from among them 
advancing, 

Came to parley with Standish, and offer him furs as a present ; 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 263 

Friendship was in their looks, but in their hearts there was 
hatred. 

Braves of the tribe were these, and brothers, gigantic in stature, 

Huge as Goliath of Gath, or the terrible Og, king of Ba- 
shan, 31 755 

One was Pecksuot named, and the other was called Watta- 
wamat. 

Round their necks were suspended their knives in scabbards 
of wampum, 

Two-edged, trenchant knives, with points as sharp as a needle. 

Other arms had they none, for they were cunning and crafty. 

" Welcome, English ! " they said, — these words they had 
learned from the traders 760 

Touching at times on the coast, to barter and chaffer for pel- 
tries. 

Then in their native tongue they began to parley with Stan- 
dish, 

Through his guide and interpreter, Hobomok, friend of the 
white man, 

Begging for blankets and knives, but mostly for muskets and 
powder, 

Kept by the white man, they said, concealed, with the plague, 
in his cellars, 765 

Ready to be let loose, and destroy his brother the red man ! 

But when Standish refused, and said he would give them the 
Bible, 

Suddenly changing their tone, they began to boast and to 
bluster. 

Then Wattawamat advanced with a stride in front of the 
other, 

And, with a lofty demeanor, thus vauntingly spake to the 
Captain : 770 

" Now Wattawamat can see, by the fiery eyes of the Captain, 

Angry is he in his heart; but the heart of the brave Watta- 
wamat 

: 31 Goliath Og: Both Biblical characters referred to in the 

Old Testament. 



264 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Is not afraid at the sight. He was not born of a woman, 

But on a mountain, at night, from an oak-tree riven by light- 
ning, 

Forth he sprang at a bound, with all his weapons about 
him, 775 

Shouting, * Who is there here to fight with the brave Watta- 
wamat?'" 

Then he unsheathed his knife, and, whetting the blade on his 
left hand, 

Held it aloft and displayed a woman's face on the handle, 

Saying, with bitter expression and look of sinister meaning: 

" I have another at home, with the face of a man on the 
handle ; 780 

By and by they shall marry; and there will be plenty of chil- 
dren ! " 
Then stood Pecksuot forth, self-vaunting, insulting Miles 
Standish ; 

While with his ringers he patted the knife that hung at his 
bosom, 

Drawing it half from its sheath, and plunging it back, as he 
muttered, 

" By and by it shall see ; it shall eat ; ah, ha ! but shall speak 
not ! 785 

This is the mighty Captain the white men have sent to de- 
stroy us ! 

He is a little man; let him go and work with the women! " 

Meanwhile Standish had noted the faces and figures of 
Indians 

Peeping and creeping about from bush to tree in the forest, 

Feigning to look for game, with arrows set on their bow- 
strings, 790 

Drawing about him still closer and closer the net of their 
ambush. 

But undaunted he stood, and dissembled and treated them 
smoothly ; 

So the old chronicles say, that were writ in the days of the 
fathers. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 265 

But when he heard their defiance, the boast, the taunt and the 

insult, 
All the hot blood of his race, of Sir Hugh and of Thurston 

de Standish, 795 

Boiled and beat in his heart, and swelled in the veins of his 

temples. 
Headlong he leaped on the boaster, and, snatching his knife 

from its scabbard, 
Plunged it into his heart, and, reeling backward, the savage 
Fell with his face to the sky, and a fiendlike fierceness upon it. 
Straight there arose from the forest the awful sound of the 

war-whoop, 800 

And, like a flurry of snow on the whistling wind of December, 
Swift and sudden and keen came a flight of feathery arrows. 
Then came a cloud of smoke, and out of the cloud came the 

lightning, 
Out of the lightning thunder ; and death unseen ran before it. 
Frightened the savages fled for shelter in swamp and in 

thicket, 805 

Hotly pursued and beset; but their sachem, the brave Wat- 

tawamat, 
Fled not; he was dead. Unswerving and swift had a bullet 
Passed through his brain, and he fell with both hands clutch- 
ing the greensward, 
Seeming in death to hold back from his foe the land of his 

fathers. 

There on the flowers of the meadow the warriors lay, and 

above them 810 

Silent, with folded arms, stood Hobomok, friend of the white 

man. 
Smiling at length he exclaimed to the stalwart Captain of 

Plymouth : 
" Pecksuot bragged very loud, of his courage, his strength and 

his stature, — 
Mocked the great Captain, and called him a little man; but I 

see now 



266 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Big enough have you been to lay him speechless before 
you!" 815 

Thus the first battle was fought and won by the stalwart 
Miles Standish. 
When the tidings thereof were brought to the village of Plym- 
outh, 
And as a trophy of war the head of the brave Wattawamat 
Scowled from the roof of the fort, which at once was a church 

and a fortress, 
All who beheld it rejoiced, and praised the Lord, and took 
courage. 820 

Only Priscilla averted her face from this spectre of terror, 
Thanking God in her heart that she had not married Miles 

Standish ; 
Shrinking, fearing almost, lest, coming home from his battles, 
He should lay claim to her hand, as the prize and reward of 
his valor. 

VIII 

THE SPINNING WHEEL 

Month after month passed away, and in autumn the ships of 

the merchants 825 

Came with kindred and friends, with cattle and corn 32 for the 

Pilgrims. 
All in the village was peace; the men were intent on their 

labors. 
Busy with hewing and building, with garden-plot and with 

merestead, 33 
Busy with breaking the glebe, 34 and mowing the grass in the 

meadows, 
Searching the sea for its fish, and hunting the deer in the 

*orest. 830 

32 Corn: Wheat and other grains were called corn. Maize is an 
American grain unknown in Europe at this date. 

33 Merestead: Land within a certain boundary, 
s* Glebe: Soil. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 267 

All in the village was peace; but at times the rumor of war- 
fare 
Filled the air with alarm, and the apprehension of danger. 
Bravely the stalwart Standish was scouring the land with his 

forces, 
Waxing valiant in fight and defeating the alien armies, 
Till his name had become a sound of fear to the nations. 835 

Anger was still in his heart, but at times the remorse and con- 
trition 
Which in all noble natures succeed the passionate outbreak, 
Came like a rising tide, that encounters the rush of a river, 
Staying its current a while, but making it bitter and brackish. 

Meanwhile Alden at home had built him a new habita- 
tion, 840 

Solid, substantial, of timber rough-hewn from the firs of the 
forest. 

Wooden-barred was the door, and the roof was covered with 
rushes ; 

Latticed the windows were, and the window-panes were of 
paper, 

Oiled to admit the light, while wind and rain were excluded. 

There too he dug a well, and around it planted an orchard : 845 

Still may be seen to this day some trace of the well and the 
orchard. 

Close to the house was the stall, where, safe and secure from 
annoyance, 

Raghorn, the snow-white bull, that had fallen to Alden's allot- 
ment 

In the division of cattle, might ruminate in the night-time 

Over the pastures he cropped, made fragrant by sweet penny- 
royal. 850 

Oft when his labor was finished, with eager feet would the 
dreamer 
Follow the pathway that ran through the woods to the house 
of Priscilla, 



268 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Led by illusions romantic and subtle deceptions of fancy, 
Pleasure disguised as duty, and love in the semblance of friend- 
ship. 
Ever of her he thought, when he fashioned the walls of his 
dwelling; 855 

Ever of her he thought, when he delved in the soil of his 

garden ; 
Ever of her he thought, when he read in his Bible on Sunday 
Praise of the virtuous woman, as she is described in the Prov- 
erbs, 
How the heart of her husband doth safely trust in her always, 
How all the days of her life she will do him good, and not 
evil, 860 

How she seeketh the wool and the flax and worketh with glad- 
ness, 
How she layeth her hand to the spindle and holdeth the distaff, 
How she is not afraid of the snow for herself or her household, 
Knowing her household are clothed with the scarlet cloth of 
her weaving! 

So as she sat at her wheel one afternoon in the Autumn, 865 

Alden, who opposite sat, and was watching her dexterous 
ringers, 

As if the thread she was spinning were that of his life and his 
fortune, 

After a pause in their talk, thus spake to the sound of the 
spindle. 

" Truly, Priscilla," he said, " when I see you spinning and 
spinning, 

Never idle a moment, but thrifty and thoughtful of others, 870 

Suddenly you are transformed, are visibly changed in a mo- 
ment; 

You are no longer Priscilla, but Bertha the Beautiful Spin- 



ner, 



» 35 



Here the light foot on the treadle grew swifter and swifter; 
the spindle 

35 Bertha: Wife of Rudolph of Burgundy. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 269 

Uttered an angry snarl, and the thread snapped short in her 
fingers ; 

While the impetuous speaker, not heeding the mischief, con- 
tinued : 875 

" You are the beautiful Bertha, the spinner, the queen of 
Helvetia; 

She whose story I read at a stall in the streets of Southampton, 

Who, as she rode on her palfrey, o'er valley and meadow and 
mountain, 

Ever was spinning her thread from a distaff fixed to her saddle. 

She was so thrifty and good, that her name passed into a 
proverb. 880 

So shall it be with your own, when the spinning-wheel shall 
no longer 

Hum in the house of the farmer, and fill its chambers with 
music. 

Then shall the mothers, reproving, relate how it was in their 
childhood, 

Praising the good old times, and the days of Priscilla the 
spinner ! " 

Straight uprose from her .wheel the beautiful Puritan 
maiden, 885 

Pleased with the praise of her thrift from him whose praise 
was the sweetest, 

Drew from the reel on the table a snowy skein of her spin- 
ning, 

Thus making answer, meanwhile, to the flattering phrases of 
Alden ; 

" Come, you must not be idle ; if I am a pattern for house- 
wives, 

Show yourself equally worthy of being the model of hus- 
bands. 890 

Hold this skein on your hands, while I wind it, ready for 
knitting ; 

Then who knows but hereafter, when fashions have changed 
and the manners, 



270 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Fathers may talk to their sons of the good old times of John 

Alden ! " 
Thus, with a jest and a laugh, the skein on his hands she 

adjusted, 
He sitting awkwardly there, with his arms extended before 

him, 895 

She standing graceful, erect, and winding the thread from his 

fingers, 
Sometimes chiding a little his clumsy manner of holding, 
Sometimes touching his hands, as she disentangled expertly 
Twist or knot in the yarn, unawares — for how could she help 

it? — 
Sending electrical thrills through every nerve in his body. 900 

Lo ! in the midst of this scene, a breathless messenger entered, 

Bringing in hurry and heat the terrible news from the village. 

Yes ; Miles Standish was dead ! — an Indian had brought them 
the tidings, — 

Slain by a poisoned arrow, shot dowrr in the front of the 
battle, 

Into an ambush beguiled, cut off with the whole of his 
forces ; 905 

All the town would be burned, and all the people be murdered ! 

Such were the tidings of evil that burst on the hearts of the 
hearers. 

Silent and statue-like stood Priscilla, her face looking back- 
ward 

Still at the face of the speaker, her arms uplifted in horror; 

But John Alden, upstarting, as if the barb of the arrow 910 

Piercing the heart of his friend had struck his own, and had 
sundered 

Once and forever the bonds that held him bound as a captive, 

Wild with excess of sensation, the awful delight of his freedom, 

Mingled with pain and regret, unconscious of what he was 
doing, 

Clasped, almost with a groan, the motionless form of Pris- 
cilla, 915 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 271 

Pressing her close to his heart, as forever his own, and ex- 
claiming : 

" Those whom the Lord hath united, let no man put them 
asunder ! " 

Even as rivulets twain, from distant and separate sources, 
Seeing each other afar, as they leap from the rocks, and pur- 
suing 
Each one its devious path, but drawing nearer and nearer, 920 
Rush together at last, at their trysting-place in the forest; 
So these lives that had run thus far in separate channels, 
Coming in sight of each other, then swerving and flowing 

asunder, 
Parted by barriers strong, but drawing nearer and nearer, 
Rushed together at last, and one was lost in the other. 925 



IX 

THE WEDDING-DAY 

Forth from the curtain of clouds, from the tent of purple 
and scarlet, 

Issued the sun, the great High-Priest, in his garments re- 
splendent, 

Holiness unto the Lord, in letters of light, on his forehead, 

Round the hem of his robe the golden bells and pomegranates. 

Blessing the world he came, and the bars of vapor beneath 
him 930 

Gleamed like a grate of brass, and the sea at his feet was a laver ! 

This was the wedding morn of Priscilla the Puritan maiden. 
Friends were assembled together; the Elder and Magistrate 

also 
Graced the scene with their presence, and stood like the Law 

and the Gospel, 
One with the sanction of earth and one with the blessing 

heaven. , 935 



2J2 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Simple and brief was the wedding, as that of Ruth and of 
Boaz. 36 

Softly the youth and the maiden repeated the words of be- 
trothal, 

Taking each other for husband and wife in the Magistrate's 
presence, 

After the Puritan way, and the laudable custom of Holland. 

Fervently then and devoutly, the excellent Elder of Plym- 
outh 940 

Prayed for the hearth and the home, that were founded that 
day in affection, 

Speaking of life and of death, and imploring Divine benedic- 
tions. 

Lo ! when the service was ended, a form appeared on the 
threshold, 

Clad in armor of steel, a sombre and sorrowful figure ! 

Why does the bridegroom start and stare at the strange ap- 
parition ? 945 

Why does the bride turn pale, and hide her face on his shoul- 
der? 

Is it a phantom of air, — a bodiless, spectral illusion? 

Is it a ghost from the grave, that has come to forbid the be- 
trothal ? 

Long had it stood there unseen, a guest uninvited, unwelcomed ; 

Over its clouded eyes there had passed at times an expres- 
sion 950 

Softening the gloom and revealing the warm heart hidden 
beneath them, 

As when across the sky the driving rack of the rain cloud 

Grows for a moment thin, and betrays the sun by its bright- 
ness. 

Once it had lifted its hand, and moved its lips, but was silent, 

As if an iron will had mastered the fleeting intention. 955 

But when were ended the troth and the prayer and the last 
benediction, 

**Ruth and Boaz: See the Book of Ruth, Old Testament. 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 273 

Into the room it strode, and the people beheld with amazement 

Bodily there in his armor Miles Standish, the Captain of 
Plymouth ! 

Grasping the bridegroom's hand, he said with emotion, " For- 
give me! 

I have been angry and hurt, — too long have I cherished the 
feeling ; 960 

I have been cruel and hard, but now, thank God ! it is ended. 

Mine is the same hot blood that leaped in the veins of Hugh 
Standish, 

Sensitive, swift to resent, but as swift in atoning for error. 

Never so much as now was Miles Standish the friend of John 
Alden." 

Thereupon answered the bridegroom : " Let all be forgotten 
between us, — 965 

All save the dear old friendship, and that shall grow older and 
dearer ! " 

Then the Captain advanced, and, bowing, saluted Priscilla, 

Gravely, and after the manner of old-fashioned gentry in Eng- 
land, 

Something of camp and of court, of town and of country, 
commingled, 

Wishing her joy of her wedding, and loudly lauding her hus- 
band. 970 

Then he said with a smile : " I should have remembered the 
adage, — 

If you would be well served, you must serve yourself; and 
moreover, 

No man can gather cherries in Kent at the season of Christ- 
mas ! " 

Great was the people's amazement, and greater yet their re- 
joicing, 

Thus to behold once more the sunburnt face of their Cap- 
tain, 975 

Whom they had mourned as dead; and they gathered and 
crowded about him, 



274 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

Eager to see him and hear him, forgetful of bride and of 

bridegroom, 
Questioning, answering, laughing, and each interrupting the 

other, 
Till the good Captain declared, being quite overpowered and 

bewildered, 
He had rather by far break into an Indian encampment, 980 
Than come again to a wedding to which he had not been 

invited. 

Meanwhile the bridegroom went forth and stood with the 
bride at the doorway, 

Breathing the perfumed air of that warm and beautiful morn- 
ing. 

Touched with autumnal tints, but lonely and sad in the sun- 
shine, 

Lay extended before them the land of toil and privation; 985 

There were the graves of the dead, and the barren waste of 
the seashore, 

There the familiar fields, the groves of pine, and the meadows; 

But to their eyes transfigured, it seemed as the Garden of 
Eden, 

Filled with the presence of God, whose voice was the sound of 
the ocean. 

Soon was their vision disturbed by the noise and stir of 

departure, 990 

Friends coming forth from the house, and impatient of longer 

delaying, 
Each with his plan for the day, and the work that was left 

uncompleted. 
Then from a stall near at hand, amid exclamations of wonder, 
Alden the thoughtful, the careful, so happy, so proud of Pris- 

cilla, 
Brought out his snow-white bull, obeying the hand of its 

master, 995 

Led by a cord that was tied to an iron ring in its nostrils, 



THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 275 

Covered with crimson cloth, and a cushion placed for a saddle. 
She should not walk, he said, through the dust and heat of the 

noonday ; 
Nay, she should ride like a queen, not plod along like a peasant. 
Somewhat alarmed at first, but reassured by the others, looo 

Placing her hand on the cushion, her foot in the hand of her 

husband, 
Gayly, with joyous laugh, Priscilla mounted her palfrey. 
" Nothing is wanting now," he said with a smile, " but the 

distaff; 
Then you would be in truth my queen, my beautiful Bertha ! " 

Onward the bridal procession now moved to their new hab- 
itation, 1005 

Happy husband and wife, and friends conversing together. 

Pleasantly murmured the brook, as they crossed the ford in 
the forest, 

Pleased with the image that passed, like a dream of love through 
its bosom, 

Tremulous, floating in air, o'er the depths of the azure abysses. 

Down through the golden leaves the sun was pouring his 
splendors, 1010 

Gleaming on purple grapes, that, from branches above them 
suspended, 

Mingled their odorous breath with the balm of the pine and 
the fir-tree. 

Wild and sweet as the clusters that grew in the valley of 
Eshcol. 

Like a picture it seemed of the primitive, pastoral ages, 

Fresh with the youth of the world, and recalling Rebecca and 
Isaac, 1015 

Old and yet ever new, and simple and beautiful always, 

Love immortal and young in the endless succession of lovers, 

So through the Plymouth woods passed onward the bridal 
procession. 



276 THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 

THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH 
Class Discussion 

What is the date of the landing of the Pilgrims? Discuss 
the history of the period. Who were the Pilgrims ? Were 
they very religious? To what sect did they belong? Are 
the characters mentioned in this story real or fanciful? 
How long after the landing of the Pilgrims are the events 
of the story supposed to have occurred? 

What Indian names mentioned here have you heard be- 
fore? Are all the Indians hostile to the Pilgrims? How 
did they declare war? Compare the Indian warriors with 
the English in respect to arms, equipment, bravery, etc. 
How did the Pilgrims keep from the Indians knowledge of 
their losses by sickness ? 

What indications are there in the story that the Pilgrims 
were great lovers of the Bible? Are all of them religious? 
Do you think John Alden would have been justified in marry- 
ing Priscilla if he had not heard that Standish was dead? 
Do you think he would have done it? Do you think that 
Standish was unreasonable in his anger? Did John show 
any sorrow over the news of the Captain's death? 

What is your opinion of Priscilla? Do you think she was 
immodest in asking John to speak for himself ? What traits 
of character are mentioned that lead you to believe she made 
him a good wife? Is she as deeply religious as the men? 

Do you like the story? Write a friend what you think 
of it. 



Ill 

PUNCTUATION 

THE PERIOD 

The period has two uses : 

1. It is used at the end of every sentence which is not a 
question or an exclamation. 

2. It is used after every abbreviation; as, Tenn., M. D., 
Mr. 

THE COMMA 

The General Rule. There is a general rule that always 
holds in determining whether or not a comma should be used. 
Use a comma whenever one is necessary to make the sense 
perfectly clear. Some pupils, regardless of the reasons for 
using commas, have the habit of putting them after every 
few words, as one would drop beans in a row. 

Remember there must always be some evident reason 
for the use of every comma. There is no reason why a 
subject should be separated from a predicate which closely 
follows it. Nor is there any reason why a modifying adjec- 
tive or adverb, in its proper place in the sentence, should be 
separated from the word it modifies. 

There are a few specific rules that may well be kept in 
mind. 

I. Words of a Series, (a) Words of a series should be 
separated by commas. 

Franklin was a printer, a politician, an inventor, and 
a public spirited citizen. 
277 



278 PUNCTUATION 

Note : — The comma before the and is sometimes omit- 
ted by good writers when the omission is not 
likely to cause confusion, 
(b) Phrases and clauses expressed serially fall under the 
same heading. 

As president of the literary society, secretary of the 
athletic association, and leader of the Y. M. C. A., 
John is easily the best all-round man in school. 

II. Words Thrown Out of Their Regular Order. 
Words thrown out of their regular order for the sake of 
emphasis should be separated from the rest of the sentence 
by commas. 

Poet's Corner, he describes in some detail. 
In this sentence, Poet's Corner is the object of describes 
and regularly it should follow this word. It is, however, 
more emphatic at the beginning of the sentence. 

III. Parenthetical Expressions. Of course, namely, 
for instance, no doubt, so to speak, indeed, and other similar 
expressions may often be omitted without changing the line 
of thought. They are parenthetical expressions but are too 
closely connected with the rest of the sentence to be en- 
closed with parenthesis marks. They are, therefore, set off 
by commas. 

John Alden, for instance, was a man whose conscience 
would not permit a selfish act. 

IV. Descriptive and Determinative Clauses, (a) A 
descriptive clause may be omitted without disturbing the main 
thought. In other words, it is a parenthetical clause which 
is thrown in to explain the main thought more fully with- 
out limiting its meaning. It is always set off by commas. 
(See page 75.) 

Carnegie, who was born in poverty, is now a millionaire. 
Note that the clause, who was born in poverty, may be 
left out without affecting the main thought. 



PUNCTUATION 279 

(b) A determinative clause cannot be omitted without 
affecting the main thought. 

Carnegie is a millionaire who was born in poverty. 

The clause, zvho was born in poverty, here limits the mean- 
ing of millionaire and cannot be omitted. It must not be 
separated from the word it modifies. 

Exercise. Give the reason for every comma used in the 
following sentences: 

1. The neighbors looked upon him with a mixture of awe, 
admiration, and good will. — " The Legend of Sleepy Hol- 
low." 

2. Still John went on, unheeding the words of Priscilla, 
urging the suit of his friend, explaining, persuading, expand- 
ing. — " The Courtship of Miles Standish." 

3. But the clothes, in this case, were to be the making of 
the man. — " Feathertop." 

4. It was, he observed, an unholy plant. — " Christmas 
Day." 

5. The young Oxonian, on the contrary, led out one of 
his maiden aunts, on whom he played a thousand knaveries 
with impunity. — " Christmas Eve." 

6. Every change of season, every change of weather, in- 
deed, every hour of the day, produces some change in the 
magic hues and shapes of these mountains. — " Rip Van 
Winkle." 

7. The idol of to-day pushes the hero of yesterday out 
of our recollection; and will, in turn, be supplanted by his 
successor of to-morrow. — " Westminster Abbey." 

8. His wealth, which was the body and spirit of his ex- 
istence, had disappeared before his death. — " The Great 
Stone Face." 

9. Pearls, pure and rich, had been dissolved into this 
precious draught. — " The Great Stone Face." 

10. The stranger's countenance still wore a smile, which 



280 PUNCTUATION 

seemed to shed a lustre about the room. — " The Golden 
Touch." 

the comma (continued) 

I. Independent expressions are set off by commas : 

(a) Words used in direct address. 

Speak to me, child, I beg you. 

(b) Interjections and exclamatory words or phrases. 

Oh, I cannot believe it. 

II. Introductory words and phrases should usually be 
separated from the rest of the sentence, unless they are 
very closely connected with some part of it. In this class 
are now, well, by the way, etc. 

Now, if you trust me, I will lead you to the treasure. 

III. The comma is used when a word is omitted. 

One went east and the other, west. 

IV. Dependent clauses are separated by a comma from 
the rest of the sentence when they precede the principal 
clause. When they occupy other places in the sentence and 
are short and closely connected, they are not separated. 
In this class are clauses beginning with while, if, where, so, 
whenever, etc. 

If the very spectre could be so gracious and noble, what 
must have been the living man. — " The Spectre Bride- 
groom." 

V. A word in apposition with another word is set off by 
commas. 

Ben Gray, a student, was the hero. 

VI. The clauses of a compound sentence should usually 
be separated by a comma. 

We had journeyed for two hours, and the sun was set- 
ting as we entered the wood. 

VII. Expressions like he said and they replied, when 



PUNCTUATION 281 

they interrupt a direct quotation, are always set off by com- 
mas. 

" Well, Bob," I asked, " what is the matter now?" 
Exercises, (a) Give the reason for each comma in the 
following sentences : 

1. "I love," said he, " to see this day well kept by rich and 
poor ; it is a great thing to have one day in the year, at least, 
when you are sure of being welcome wherever you go, and 
of having, as it were, the world all thrown open to you." — ■ 
" Christmas Day." 

2. Archly the maiden smiled, and with eyes overrunning 

with laughter, 
Said, in a tremulous voice, " Why don't you speak for 
yourself, John? "— " The Courtship of Miles Stan- 
dish." 

3. I entered from the inner court of Westminster School, 
through a long, low, vaulted passage, that had an almost sub- 
terranean look, being dimly lighted in one part. — " West- 
minster Abbey." 

4. Ah, poor man, Rip Van Winkle was his name, but it 
is twenty years since he went away from home with his dog 
and his gun, and has never been heard of since/ — " Rip 
Van Winkle." 

5. He took one of the smoking hot cakes, and had scarcely 
broken it, when, to his cruel mortification, though a moment 
before it had been of the whitest wheat, it assumed the yel- 
low hue of Indian meal. — " The Golden Touch." 

6. So the old woman took down from a peg an ancient 
plum-colored coat of London make, and with relics of em- 
broidery on its seams, cuffs, pocket-flaps, and button-holes, 
but lamentably worn and faded, patched at the elbows, tat- 
tered at the skirts, and threadbare all over. — " Feathertop." 

7. His eyes glistened with tears, he gazed reverently at 
the venerable man, and said within himself that never was 



282 PUNCTUATION 

there an aspect so worthy of a prophet and a sage as that 
mild, sweet, thoughtful countenance, with the glory of white 
hair diffused about it. — " The Great Stone Face." 

8. " Well, friend Midas/' said the stranger, " pray how 
do you succeed with ' The Golden Touch ' ? " 

(b) I. Give the reason for every comma in the first para- 
graph of " The Spectre Bridegroom." 

2. Give the reason for every comma in the first paragraph 
of " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." 

(c) Punctuate correctly the following passage: 

" My island was now peopled and I thought myself 
rich in subjects; and it was a merry reflection which 
I frequently made how like a king I looked. First of 
all the whole country was my own mere property so that 
I had an undoubted right to dominion. Secondly my 
people were perfectly subjected. I was absolute lord 
and law-giver; they owed their lives to me and were 
ready to lay down their lives for me. It was remark- 
able too that we had but three subjects and they of 
three religions. My man Friday was a Protestant his 
father was a pagan and a cannibal and the Spaniard was 
a Papist." 

THE SEMICOLON 

The semicolon is simply a big comma. Young writers have 
very few occasions to use it. By making your sentences sim- 
ple and direct, you can avoid the semicolon almost alto- 
gether. 

Its two chief uses, however, are easily learned : 

i. It is used to join two clauses of a compound sentence, 
when the conjunction has been omitted. 

Talent is serious, sober, grave, and respectable; tact is 
all that and more too. 

2. It is used to separate the main parts of a complex 



PUNCTUATION 283 

sentence or of a simple sentence, when these parts have 

commas in them. 

He was courteous, not cringing, to superiors; affable, 
not familiar, to equals ; and kind, but not condescending, 
to inferiors. 
Exercise. Place semicolons in the proper places in the 

following sentences : 

1. The scene was one to set off any figure of distinction 
that entered on it and certainly when Mr. and Mrs. Grand- 
court entered, no beholder could deny that their figures 
had distinction. — George Eliot. 

2. All had passed away the silence of death had settled 
again upon the place. 

3. The time must come when its gilded vaults which now 
spring so loftily shall lie in rubbish beneath the feet when 
instead of the sound of melody and praise the wind shall 
whistle through the broken arches. 

4. His heart was heavy and his head perplexed for he 
was to present himself an unbidden guest among hostile 
people. 

5. " The nation," he continued, " is altered we have almost 
lost our simple true-hearted peasantry." 

6. When my eyes shall be turned to behold, for the last 
time, the sun in heaven may I not see him shining upon the 
broken and dishonored fragments of a once glorious Union 
on states, dissevered, discordant, belligerent on a land rent 
with civil feuds and drenched, it may be, in fraternal blood. 
— Webster. 

7. Gentlemen, you know what followed farmers and me- 
chanics " fired the shot heard round the world." — Parker. 

8. The battle of Waterloo is an enigma. It is as obscure 
to those who won it as to those who lost it. To Napoleon 
it is a panic Blucher sees in it only fire Wellington compre- 
hends nothing of it. — Victor Hugo. 



284 PUNCTUATION 

9. The soldier stepped from the trenches into the furrow 
horses that had charged Federal guns marched before the 
plough and the fields that ran red with human blood in April 
were green with the harvest in June. — Grady. 

10. Rome and Carthage! Rome with her army, Carthage 
with her fleet : Carthage, old, rich, and crafty Rome, young, 
poor, robust the past, and the future the spirit of discovery, 
and the spirit of conquest the genius of commerce, and the 
demon of war. — Victor Hugo. 

QUOTATION MARKS 

Whenever the exact words of a writer or speaker are 
quoted, they are always enclosed by quotation marks (" "). 

1. Sometimes a quotation is interrupted by he said, he re- 
plied, or some such expression. In this case, it is necessary 
to indicate by marks exactly where the quotation ends and 
begins again. 

" Now that we are alone/' he said, " I will impart to 
you my reason for going." 

2. Whenever a quotation extends through several para- 
graphs, the marks are used at the beginning of each, but 
never at the end of any paragraph except the last. 

3. A quotation within a quotation is indicated by single 
marks (' '). 

u The only poem that I know/' said John, " begins with 
• Tell me not in mournful numbers/ but I will recite that 
for you." 

4. In direct discourse each speech, regardless of its 
length, should be paragraphed separately. 

" When are you coming? " she asked. 
" To-morrow," he replied. 

" But will you," she continued, " be able to complete 
your work by that time ? " 



PUNCTUATION 285 

THE DASH 

The dash has two main uses: 

1. Whenever a sentence is abruptly broken off before the 
end is reached, the dash is used. 

And you spoke to — . 

He rubbed his eyes — it was a bright, sunny morning. 

2. Two dashes are sometimes used instead of the parenthe- 
sis marks ( ) whenever a word, phrase, or clause is thrown 
into a sentence in which it is not expected to appear : 

Ichabod Crane — all thoughts of the school now being 
banished from his mind — rode eagerly toward Van 
Tassel's house. 

THE COLON 

The colon has one principal use. It precedes a list or a 
long quotation. 

The following are the romance languages : French, 
Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. 
Mr. Roosevelt spoke as follows : (A long quotation here) . 

THE PARENTHESIS 

There are very few cases that really demand the pa- 
renthesis marks. The dash or even the comma will often 
serve the purpose. The marks ( ) indicate that the word 
or words enclosed may be left out of the sentence. The re- 
mainder of the sentence should be complete without the in- 
formation within the parentheses. 

USE OF CAPITALS 

Importance of Using Capitals in Proper Places. Many 
pupils have an idea that the use of capitals is a matter of 
slight importance. It is a common error to find sentences 
beginning with small letters in the compositions of pupils 



286 PUNCTUATION 

who know perfectly the rules for capitalization. The care- 
less practice of beginning words with capitals when there 
is no apparent reason is also frequent. 

I. All proper names and all adjectives derived from them, 
whether applied to persons, animals, places, or things, should 
begin with a capital. 

George England France Holland Florida 
Boston English French Dutch Black Beauty 

The names of the months and days of the week begin with 
capitals, but there is no reason why spring, autumn, winter, 
and summer should be capitalized. 

Sections of the country that derive their names from the 
directions toward which they lie, should begin with capitals, 
but not the directions. 

The territory south of the Ohio river is known as the 
South. 

II. Every sentence should begin with a capital. 

III. The important words of a title should begin with 
capitals. 

Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities. 
Note. — In the writing of titles the less important words 
such as prepositions, articles, and conjunctions may not be 
capitalized. It is not necessary to capitalize of in the sen- 
tence just given. 

IV. Every line of poetry should begin with a capital. 

V. Nouns that refer to the Deity should be written with 
capitals. 

The Lord is mighty to defend us. 

VI. Every direct quotation should begin with a capital. 
Poor Richard's Almanac says, " Beware of small ex- 
penses." 

VII. Where several words make up the name of a place 
or an organization, only the most important are capitalized. 



PUNCTUATION 287 

Ohio river Christmas day Democratic party 
Second Baptist church Fairview avenue 
Note. — The examples given above are properly written 
according to the best recent authority. Many well-informed 
people, however, still prefer such forms as Ohio River and 
Fairview Avenue. 

VIII. Personified words, that is, words referring to inani- 
mate objects as persons, are capitalized. 

O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being. 

IX. The words / and O are always capitals. 
Exercise. Correct all the errors in capitalization in the 

following sentences and give the reason for every capital that 
is correctly used : 

1. I study Algebra, German, and Agriculture. 

2. The Winter months are very severe in the North. 

3. The house of Seven gables is one of Hawthorne's 
best novels. 

4. " Christmas eve " gives a description of rural life in 
England. 

5. The northern army was victorious and again advanced 
toward Richmond. 

6. The New Testament is not as long as the Old. 

7. " Headquarters of the anti-tuberculosis league " was 
written on the banner. 

8. He cried, " make way for liberty," and ran toward the 
enemy. 

9. Marshall is Vice-president of the United States, and 
Roosevelt is ex-president. 

10. Break, break, break 

On thy cold gray stones, O Sea ! — Tennyson. 

11. Major Henry was promoted to the rank of Colonel. 

12. The South lost all save honor. 

13. The governor's Mansion is the finest residence in town. 

14. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Lincoln. 



288 PUNCTUATION 

15. " When," he asked, " May I come to see you? " 
General Exercise. I. Punctuate the following selections 
correctly : 

1. At length Moscow with its domes and towers and 
palaces appeared in sight and Napoleon who had joined the 
advance guard gazed long and thoughtfully on that goal of 
his wishes Murat went forward and entered the gates with 
his splendid cavalry but as he passed through the streets he 
was struck with the solitude that surrounded him nothing 
was heard but the heavy tramp of his squadrons as they 
passed along for a deserted and abandoned city was the 
meager prize for which such unparalleled efforts had been 
made. As night drew its curtain over the splendid capital 
Napoleon entered the gates and immediately appointed 
Mortier governor. In his directions he commanded him to 
abstain from all pillage. For this he said you will be answer- 
able with your life. Defend Moscow against all whether 
friend or foe. — Headley. 

2. You are my first patient the doctor said what is your 
name the boy holding his hand to his side turned smiled 
brightly and said James sir upon examining the wound the 
doctor saw that the blood had clotted upon the shirt which 
was of fine linen that the cut was both long and deep and 
that the boy needed the care which only careful efficient 
nursing can give. 

3. John I said I am giving you good advice the drug 
will have a soothing effect upon your nerves take it by all 
means I shall be glad to do it John replied but by the way 
what did you do with the prescription I replied that I had 
left it at the druggists John then inquired what is the number 
of the prescription three thousand two hundred and twenty- 
one said I he next asked who had given it to me and I replied 
Dr. W. A. Williams who has always been my doctor thank 
you said John as he lifted his hat and moved away. 



PUNCTUATION 289 

II. Account for each punctuation mark used in the fol- 
lowing passages : 

1. " Christmas Day," paragraph 2. 

2. " The Christmas Dinner/' paragraph 8. 

3. "The Courtship of Miles Standish," lines 149-153 
and 155-164. 

4. " The Spectre Bridegroom/' paragraph 1. 



iv; 

THE GREAT STONE FACE 1 

i. One afternoon, when the sun was going down, a mother 
and her little boy sat at the door of their cottage, talking about 
the Great Stone Face. They had but to lift their eyes, and 
there it was plainly to be seen, though miles away, with the sun- 
shine brightening all its features. 

[Printed by permission of the authorized publishers, Houghton, 
Mifflin and Company.] 

1 Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1804. 
He was graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825 and spent the fol- 
lowing twelve years quietly at home writing tales, some of which 
found their way into the magazines and others of which were de- 
stroyed by their author. In 1837 he collected his published pieces 
under the title Twice Told Tales. Soon after his marriage in 1842 
he accepted a position in the Salem custom house, and in 1850 ap- 
peared The Scarlet Letter, his first long romance. This novel estab- 
lished his reputation as a writer and has remained his most notable 
and characteristic work. It was followed by The House of Seven 
Gables and Tanglewood Tales. 

In 1853 his college friend, President Franklin Pierce, appointed 
him consul at Liverpool and the next seven years were spent in 
England and Italy. One of the results of his life in Italy was The 
Marble Faun. He died in 1864 and was buried in the Concord ceme- 
tery where lie many of his literary friends. 

Hawthorne is essentially a New England writer. For over two 
centuries his ancestors had lived and died in New England, and 
nearly all his work is steeped in New England history and tradition. 
Not only does his Puritan ancestry reveal itself in his choice of 
themes but also in his treatment of them ; a gentle gloom that might 
well have been caught from their author's own personality pervades 
many of them, and from nearly all of them a moral lesson may be 
drawn. At times he emphasizes the moral of his tale to such an 
extent as to interfere with the artistic construction of the tale. 

290 



THE GREAT STONE FACE 291 

And what was the Great Stone Face ? 2 

2. Embosomed amongst a family of lofty mountains, there was 
a valley so spacious that it contained many thousand inhabitants. 
Some of these good people dwelt in log-huts, with the black 
forest all around them, on the steep and difficult hill-sides. 
Others had their homes in comfortable farm-houses, and culti- 
vated the rich soil on the gentle slopes or level surfaces of the 
valley. Others, again, were congregated into populous villages, 
where some wild, highland rivulet, tumbling down from its birth- 
place in the upper mountain region, had been caught and tamed 
by human cunning, and compelled to turn the machinery of cot- 
ton-factories. The inhabitants of this valley, in short, were 
numerous, and of many modes of life. But all of them, grown 
people and children, had a kind of familiarity with the Great 
Stone Face, although some possessed the gift of distinguishing 
this grand natural phenomenon more perfectly than many of 
their neighbors. 

3. The Great Stone Face, then, was a work of Nature in her 
mood of majestic playfulness, formed on the perpendicular side 
of a mountain by some immense rocks, which had been thrown 
together in such a position as, when viewed at a proper distance, 
precisely to resemble the features of the human countenance. 
It seemed as if an enormous giant, or a Titan, had sculptured 
his own likeness on the precipice. There was the broad arch 
of the forehead, a hundred feet in height; the nose, with its 

2 This story appeared first in the National Era for January 24, 1850, 
and was republished in 1852 in The Snow Image and Other Twice 
Told Tales. Mr. Conway calls it " the finest allegorical tale ever 
written." In the Franconia Notch in New Hampshire there is a 
stone formation which closely resembles the profile view of a grave, 
dignified face. That Hawthorne had conceived the idea of such a 
tale several years before he wrote " The Great Stone Face " is evident 
from the following entry in his Note Books under the year 1840: 

" The semblance of a human face to be formed on the side of a 
mountain, or in the fracture of a small stone, by a lusus naturce. 
The face is an object of curiosity for years or centuries, and by and 
by a boy is born whose features gradually assume the aspect of that 
portrait. At some critical juncture the resemblance is found to be 
perfect. A prophecy may be connected/' 



292 THE GREAT STONE FACE 

long bridge ; and the vast lips, which, if they could have spoken, 
would have rolled their thunder accents from one end of the 
valley to the other. True it is, that if the spectator approached 
too near, he lost the outline of the gigantic visage, and could 
discern only a heap of ponderous and gigantic rocks, piled in 
chaotic ruin. one upon another. Retracing his steps, however, 
the wondrous features would again be seen; and the farther he 
withdrew from them, the more like a human face, with all its 
original divinity intact, did they appear ; until, as it grew dim in 
the distance, with the clouds and glorified vapor of the moun- 
tains clustering about it, the Great Stone Face seemed positively 
to be alive. 

4. It was a happy lot for children to grow up to manhood or 
womanhood with the Great Stone Face before their eyes, for 
all the features were noble, and the expression was at once 
grand and sweet, as if it were the glow of a vast, warm heart, 
that embraced all mankind in its affections, and had room for 
more. It was an education only to look at it. According to 
the belief of many people, the valley owed much of its fertility 
to this benign aspect that was continually beaming over it, 
illuminating the clouds, and infusing its tenderness into the 
sunshine. 

5. As we began with saying, a mother and her little boy sat 
at their cottage-door, gazing at the Great Stone Face, and 
talking about it. The child's name was Ernest. 

" Mother/' said he, while the Titanic visage smiled on him, 
" I wish that it could speak, for it looks so very kindly that its 
voice must needs be pleasant. If I were to see a man with 
such a face, I should love him dearly." 

" If an old prophecy should come to pass," answered his 
mother, "we may see a man, some time or other, with exactly 
such a face as that." 

" What prophecy do you mean, dear mother ? " eagerly in- 
quired Ernest. " Pray tell me all about it ! " 

6. So his mother told him a story that her own mother had 
told to her, when she herself was younger than little Ernest; 
a story, not of things that were past, but of what was yet to 



THE GREAT STONE FACE 293 

come ; a story, nevertheless, so very old, that even the Indians, 
who formerly inhabited this valley, had heard it from their 
forefathers, to whom, as they affirmed, it had been murmured 
by the mountain streams, and whispered by the wind among 
the tree-tops. The purport was, that, at some future day, a 
child should be born hereabouts, who was destined to become 
the greatest and noblest personage of his time, and whose 
countenance, in manhood, should bear an exact resemblance to 
the Great Stone Face. Not a few old-fashioned people, and 
young ones likewise, in the ardor of their hopes, still cherished 
an enduring faith in this old prophecy. But others, who had 
seen more of the world, had watched and waited till they were 
weary, and had beheld no man with such a face, nor any man 
that proved to be much greater or nobler than his neighbors, 
concluded it to be nothing but an idle tale. At all events, the 
great man of the prophecy had not yet appeared. 

" O mother, dear mother ! " cried Ernest, clapping his hands 
above his head, " I do hope that I shall live to see him ! " 

His mother was an affectionate and thoughtful woman, and 
felt that it was wisest not to discourage the generous hopes of 
her little boy. So she only said to him, " Perhaps you may." 

7. And Ernest never forgot the story that his mother told him. 
It was always in his mind, whenever he looked upon the Great 
Stone Face. He spent his childhood in the log-cottage where 
he was born, and was dutiful to his mother, and helpful to her 
in many things, assisting her much with his little hands, and 
more with his loving heart. In this manner, from a happy yet 
often pensive child, he grew up to be a mild, quiet, unobtrusive 
boy, and sun-browned with labor in the fields, but with more 
intelligence brightening his aspect than is seen in many lads 
who have been taught at famous schools. Yet Ernest had had 
no teacher, save only that the Great Stone Face became one 
to him. When the toil of the day was over, he would gaze at 
it for hours, until he began to imagine that those vast features 
recognized him, and gave him a smile of kindness and en- 
couragement, responsive to his own look of veneration. We 
must not take upon us to affirm that this was a mistake, although 



294 THE GREAT STONE FACE 

the Face may have looked no more kindly at Ernest than at all 
the world besides. But the secret was that the boy's tender and 
confiding simplicity discerned what other people could not see; 
and thus the love, which was meant for all, became his peculiar 
portion. 

8. About this time there went a rumor throughout the valley, 
that the great man, foretold from ages long ago, who was to 
bear a resemblance to the Great Stone Face, had appeared at 
last. It seems that, many years before, a young man had 
migrated from the valley and settled at a distant seaport, where, 
after getting together a little money, he had set up as a shop- 
keeper. His name — but I could never learn whether it was 
his real one, or a nickname that had grown out of his habits 
and success in life — was Gathergold. Being shrewd and ac- 
tive, and endowed by Providence with that inscrutable faculty 
which develops itself in what the world calls luck, he became 
an exceedingly rich merchant, and owner of a whole fleet of 
bulky-bottomed ships. All the countries of the globe appeared 
to join hands for the mere purpose of adding heap after heap 
to the mountainous accumulation of this one man's wealth. 
The cold regions of the north, almost within the gloom and 
shadow of the Arctic Circle, sent him their tribute in the shape 
of furs; hot Africa sifted for him the golden sands of her 
rivers, and gathered up the ivory tusks of her great elephants 
out of the forests ; the East came bringing him the rich shawls, 
and spices, and teas, and the effulgence of diamonds, and the 
gleaming purity of large pearls. The ocean, not to be behind- 
hand with the earth, yielded up her mighty whales, that Mr. 
Gathergold might sell their oil, and make a profit on it. Be the 
original commodity what it might, it was gold within his grasp. 
It might be said of him, as of Midas 3 in the fable, that whatever 
he touched with his finger immediately glistened, and grew 
yellow, and was changed at once into sterling metal, or, which 
suited him still better, into piles of coin. And, when Mr. 
Gathergold had become so very rich that it would have taken 
him a hundred years only to count his wealth, he bethought 

8 Midas in the fable: See The Golden Touch, page 327. 



THE GREAT STONE FACE 295 

himself of his native valley, and resolved to go back thither, and 
end his days where he was born. With this purpose in view, 
he sent a skilful architect to build him such a palace as should 
be fit for a man of his vast wealth to live in. 

9. As I have said above, it had already been rumored in the 
valley that Mr. Gathergold had turned out to be the prophetic 
personage so long and vainly looked for, and that his visage 
was the perfect and undeniable similitude of the Great Stone 
Face. People were the more ready to believe that this must 
needs be the fact, when they beheld the splendid edifice that 
rose, as if by enchantment, on the site of his father's old 
weatherbeaten farm-house. The exterior was of marble, so 
dazzlingly white that it seemed as though the whole structure 
might melt away in the sunshine, like those humbler ones which 
Mr. Gathergold, in his young play-days, before his fingers were 
gifted with the touch of transmutation, had been accustomed 
to build of snow. It had a richly ornamented portico, supported 
by tall pillars, beneath which was a lofty door, studded with 
silver knobs, and made of a kind of variegated wood that had 
been brought from beyond the sea. The windows, from the 
floor to the ceiling of each stately apartment, were composed, 
respectively, of but one enormous pane of glass, so transparently 
pure that it was said to be a finer medium than even the vacant 
atmosphere. Hardly anybody had been permitted to see the 
interior of this palace; but it was reported, and with good 
semblance of truth, to be far more gorgeous than the outside, 
insomuch that whatever was iron or brass in other houses was 
silver or gold in this; and Mr. Gathergold's bedchamber, es- 
pecially, made such a glittering appearance that no ordinary 
man would have been able to close his eyes there. But, on the 
other hand, Mr. Gathergold was now so inured to wealth, that 
perhaps he could not have closed his eyes unless where the 
gleam of it was certain to find its way beneath his eyelids. 

10. In due time, the mansion was finished; next came the up- 
holsterers, with magnificent furniture; then, a whole troop of 
black and white servants, the harbingers of Mr. Gathergold, 
who, in his own majestic person, was expected to arrive at 



296 THE GREAT STONE FACE 

sunset. Our friend Ernest, meanwhile, had been deeply stirred 
by the idea that the great man, the noble man, the man of 
prophecy, after so many ages of delay, was at length to be made 
manifest to his native valley. He knew, boy as he was, that 
there were a thousand ways in which Mr. Gathergold, with his 
vast wealth, might transform himself into an angel of benefi- 
cence, and assume a control over human affairs as wide and be- 
nignant as the smile of the Great Stone Face. Full of faith 
and hope, Ernest doubted not that what the people said was 
true, and that now he was to behold the living likeness of those 
wondrous features on the mountain-side. While the boy was 
still gazing up the valley, and fancying, as he always did, that 
the Great Stone Face returned his gaze and looked kindly at 
him, the rumbling of wheels was heard, approaching swiftly 
along the winding road. 

" Here he comes ! " cried a group of people who were as- 
sembled to witness the arrival. " Here conies the great Mr. 
Gathergold ! " 

11. A carriage, drawn by four horses, dashed round the turn 
of the road. Within it, thrust partly out of the window, ap- 
peared the physiognomy of the old man, with a skin as yellow as 
if his own Midas-hand had transmuted it. He had a low fore- 
head, small, sharp eyes, puckered about with innumerable wrin- 
kles, and very thin lips, which he made still thinner by pressing 
them forcibly together. 

" The very image of the Great Stone Face ! " shouted the 
people. " Sure enough, the old prophecy is true ; and here we 
have the great man come, at last ! " 

12. And, what greatly perplexed Ernest, they seemed actually 
to believe that here was the likeness which they spoke of. By 
the roadside there chanced to be an old beggar-woman and two 
little beggar-children, stragglers from some far-off region, who, 
as the carriage rolled onward, held out their hands and lifted 
up their doleful voices, most piteously beseeching charity. A 
yellow claw — the very same that had clawed together so much 
wealth — poked itself out of the coach-window, and dropt some 
copper coins upon the ground; so that, though the great man's 



THE GREAT STONE FACE 297 

name seems to have been Gathergold, he might just as suitably 
have been nicknamed Scattercopper. Still, nevertheless, with 
an earnest shout, and evidently with as much good faith as ever, 
the people bellowed, — 

" He is the very image of the Great Stone Face ! " 

13. But Ernest turned sadly from the wrinkled shrewdness of 
that sordid visage, and gazed up the valley, where, amid a gath- 
ering mist, gilded by the last sunbeams, he could still distinguish 
those glorious features which had impressed themselves into his 
soul. Their aspect cheered him. What did the benign lips 
seem to say? 

" He will come ! Fear not, Ernest ; the man will come ! " 

14. The years went on, and Ernest ceased to be a boy. He 
had grown to be a young man now. He attracted little notice 
from the other inhabitants of the valley; for they saw nothing 
remarkable in his way of life, save that, when the labor of the 
day was over, he still loved to go apart and gaze and meditate 
upon the Great Stone Face. According to their idea of the 
matter, it was a folly, indeed, but pardonable, inasmuch as 
Ernest was industrious, kind, and neighborly, and neglected no 
duty for the sake of indulging this idle habit. They knew not 
that the Great Stone Face had become a teacher to him, and 
that the sentiment which was expressed in it would enlarge the 
young man's heart, and fill it with wider and deeper sympathies 
than other hearts. They knew not that thence would come a 
better wisdom than could be learned from books, and a better 
life than could be moulded on the defaced example of other 
human lives. Neither did Ernest know that the thoughts and 
affections which came to him so naturally, in the fields and at 
the fireside, and wherever he communed with himself, were of 
a higher tone than those which all men shared with him. A 
simple soul, — simple as when his mother first taught him the 
old prophecy, — he beheld the marvellous features beaming 
adown the valley, and still wondered that their human counter- 
part was so long in making his appearance. 

15. By this time poor Mr. Gathergold was dead and buried; 
and the oddest part of the matter was, that his wealth, which was 



298 THE GREAT STONE FACE 

the body and spirit of his existence, had disappeared before his 
death, leaving nothing of him but a living skeleton, covered over 
with a wrinkled, yellow skin. Since the melting away of his 
gold, it had been very generally conceded that there was no such 
striking resemblance, after all, betwixt the ignoble features of 
the ruined merchant and that majestic face upon the mountain- 
side. So the people ceased to honor him during his lifetime, 
and quietly consigned him to forgetfulness after his decease. 
Once in a while, it is true, his memory was brought up in con- 
nection with the magnificent palace which he had built, and 
which had long ago been turned into a hotel for the accom- 
modation of strangers, multitudes of whom came, every sum- 
mer, to visit that famous natural curiosity, the Great Stone 
Face. Thus, Mr. Gathergold being discredited and thrown into 
the shade, the man of prophecy was yet to come. 

16. It so happened that a native-born son of the valley, many 
years before, had enlisted as a soldier, and, after a great deal 
of hard fighting, had now become an illustrious commander. 
Whatever he may be called in history, he was known in camps 
and on the battle-field under the nickname of Old Blood-and- 
Thunder. This war-worn veteran, being now infirm with age 
and wounds, and weary of the turmoil of a military life, and of 
the roll of the drum and the clangor of the trumpet, that had so 
long been ringing in his ears, had lately signified a purpose of 
returning to his native valley, hoping to find repose where he 
remembered to have left it. The inhabitants, his old neighbors 
and their grown-up children, were resolved to welcome the 
renowned warrior with a salute of cannon and a public dinner ; 
and all the more enthusiastically, it being affirmed that now, at 
last, the likeness of the Great Stone Face had actually appeared. 
An aid-de-camp of Old Blood-and-Thunder, travelling through 
the valley, was said to have been struck with the resemblance. 
Moreover the schoolmates and early acquaintances of the gen- 
eral were ready to testify, on oath, that, to the best of their 
recollection, the aforesaid general had been exceedingly like the 
majestic image, even when a boy, only that the idea had never 
occurred to them at that period. Great, therefore, was the ex- 



THE GREAT STONE FACE 299 

citement throughout the valley ; and many people, who had never 
once thought of glancing at the Great Stone Face for years be- 
fore, now spent their time in gazing at it, for the sake of know- 
ing exactly how General Blood-and-Thunder looked. 

17. On the day of the great festival, Ernest, with all the other 
people of the valley, left their work, and proceeded to the spot 
where the sylvan banquet was prepared. As he approached, 
the loud voice of the Rev. Dr. Battleblast was heard, beseeching 
a blessing on the good things set before them, and on the dis- 
tinguished friend of peace in whose honor they were assembled. 
The tables were arranged in a cleared space of the woods, shut 
in by the surrounding trees, except where a vista opened east- 
ward, and afforded a distant view of the Great Stone Face. 
Over the general's chair, which was a relic from the home of 
Washington, there was an arch of verdant boughs, with the 
laurel profusely intermixed, and surmounted by his country's 
banner, beneath which he had won his victories. Our friend 
Ernest raised himself on his tiptoes, in hopes to get a glimpse 
of the celebrated guest ; but there was a mighty crowd about the 
tables anxious to hear the toasts and speeches, and to catch any 
word that might fall from the general in reply ; and a volunteer 
company, doing duty as a guard, pricked ruthlessly with their 
bayonets at any particularly quiet person among the throng. 
So Ernest, being of an unobtrusive character, was thrust quite 
into the background, where he could see no more of Old Blood- 
and-Thunder's physiognomy than if it had been still blazing on 
the battle-field. To console himself, he turned towards the 
Great Stone Face, which, like a faithful and long-remembered 
friend, looked back and smiled upon him through the vista of 
the forest. Meantime, however, he could overhear the remarks 
of various individuals, who were comparing the features of the 
hero with the face on the distant mountain-side. 

" 'Tis the same face, to a hair ! " cried one man, cutting a 
caper for joy. 

" Wonderfully like, that's a fact ! " responded another. 

" Like ! why, I call it Old Blood-and-Thunder himself, in a 
monstrous looking-glass ! " cried a third. " And why not ? 



300 THE GREAT STONE FACE 

He's the greatest man of this or any other age, beyond a 
doubt." 

18. And then all three of the speakers gave a great shout, 
which communicated electricity to the crowd, and called forth a 
roar from a thousand voices, that went reverberating for miles 
among the mountains, until you might have supposed that the 
Great Stone Face had poured its thunder-breath into the cry. 
All these comments, and this vast enthusiasm, served the more 
to interest our friend ; nor did he think of questioning that now, 
at length, the mountain-visage had found its human counterpart. 
It is true, Ernest had imagined that this long-looked-for per- 
sonage would appear in the character of a man of peace, utter- 
ing wisdom, and doing good, and making people happy. But, 
taking an habitual breadth of view, with all his simplicity, he 
contended that Providence should choose its own method of 
blessing mankind, and could conceive that this great end might 
be effected even by a warrior and his bloody sword, should in- 
scrutable wisdom see fit to order matters so. 

" The general ! the general ! " was now the cry. " Hush ! 
silence ! Old Blood-and-Thunder's going to make a speech. ,, 

19. Even so ; for, the cloth being removed, the general's health 
had been drunk, amid shouts of applause, and he now stood upon 
his feet to thank the company. Ernest saw him. There he was, 
over the shoulders of the crowd, from the two glittering epaulets 
and embroidered collar upward, beneath the arch of green boughs 
with intertwined laurel, and the banner drooping as if to shade 
his brow ! And there, too, visible in the same glance, through 
the vista of the forest, appeared the Great Stone Face ! And 
was there, indeed, such a resemblance as the crowd had testi- 
fied ? Alas, Ernest could not recognize it ! He beheld a war- 
worn and weather-beaten countenance, full of energy, and ex- 
pressive of an iron will; but the gentle wisdom, the deep, broad, 
tender sympathies, were altogether wanting in Old Blood-and- 
Thunder's visage; and even if the Great Stone Face had as- 
sumed his look of stern command, the milder traits would still 
have tempered it. 

" This is not the man of prophecy," sighed Ernest to himself, 



THE GREAT STONE FACE 301 

as he made his way out of the throng. " And must the world 
wait longer yet ? " 

20. The mists had congregated about the distant mountain-side, 
and there were seen the grand and awful features of the Great 
Stone Face, awful but benignant, as if a mighty angel were 
sitting among the hills, and enrobing himself in a cloud-vesture 
of gold and purple. As he looked, Ernest could hardly believe 
but that a smile beamed over the whole visage, with a radiance 
still brightening, although without motion of the lips. It was 
probably the effect of the western sunshine, melting through the 
thinly diffused vapors that had swept between him and the 
object that he gazed at. But — as it always did — the aspect of 
his marvellous friend made Ernest as hopeful as if he had never 
hoped in vain. 

" Fear not, Ernest," said his heart, even as if the Great Face 
were whispering him, — " fear not, Ernest ; he will come." 

21. More years sped swiftly and tranquilly away.' Ernest still 
dwelt in his native valley, and was now a man of middle age. 
By imperceptible degrees, he had become known among the 
people. Now, as heretofore, he labored for his bread, and was 
the same simple-hearted man that he had always been. But he 
had thought and felt so much, he had given so many of the best 
hours of his life to unworldly hopes for some great good to man- 
kind, that it seemed as though he had been talking with angels, 
and had imbibed a portion of their wisdom unawares. It was 
visible in the calm and well-considered beneficence of his daily 
life, the quiet stream of which had made a wide green margin 
all along its course. Not a day passed by, that the world was 
not the better because this man, humble as he was, had lived. 
He never stepped aside from his own path, yet would always 
reach a blessing to his neighbor. Almost involuntarily, too, he 
had become a preacher. The pure and high simplicity of his 
thought, which, as one of its manifestations, took shape in the 
good deeds that dropped silently from his hand, flowed also 
forth in speech. He uttered truths that wrought upon and 
moulded the lives of those who heard him. His auditors, it may 
be, never suspected that Ernest, their own neighbor and familiar 



302 THE GREAT STONE FACE 

friend, was more than an ordinary man; least of all did Ernest 
himself suspect it; but, inevitably as the murmur of a rivulet, 
came thoughts out of his mouth that no other human lips had 
spoken. 

22. When the people's minds had had a little time to cool, they 
were ready enough to acknowledge their mistake in imagining 
a similarity between General Blood-and-Thunder's truculent 
physiognomy and the benign visage on the mountain-side. But 
now, again there were reports and many paragraphs in the 
newspapers, affirming that the likeness of the Great Stone Face 
had appeared upon the broad shoulders of a certain eminent 
(statesman. He, like Mr. Gathergold and Old Blood-and- 
Thunder, was a native of the valley, but had left it in his early 
days, and taken up the trades of law and politics. Instead of 
the rich man's wealth and the warrior's sword, he had but a 
tongue, and it was mightier than both together. So wonder- 
fully eloquent was he, that whatever he might choose to say, 
his auditors had no choice but to believe him ; wrong looked like 
right, and right like wrong; for when it pleased him, he could 
make a kind of illuminated fog with his mere breath, and ob- 
scure the natural daylight with it. His tongue, indeed, was a 
magic instrument : sometimes it rumbled like the thunder ; some- 
times it warbled like the sweetest music. It was the blast of 
war, — the song of peace; and it seemed to have a heart in it, 
when there was no such matter. In good truth, he was a won- 
drous man; and when his tongue had acquired him all other 
imaginable success, — when it had been heard in halls of state, 
and in the courts of princes and potentates, — after it had made 
him known all over the world, even as a voice crying from shore 
to shore, — it finally persuaded his countrymen to select him for 
the Presidency. Before this time, — indeed, as soon as he be- 
gan to grow celebrated,— his admirers had found out the re- 
semblance between him and the Great Stone Face ; and so much 
were they struck by it, that throughout the country this dis- 
tinguished gentleman was known by the name of Old Stony 
Phiz. The phrase was considered as giving a highly favorable 
aspect to his political prospects ; for, as is likewise the case with 



THE GREAT STONE FACE 3°3 

the Popedom, nobody ever becomes President without taking a 
name other than his own. 

23. While his friends were doing their best to make him Presi- 
dent, Old Stony Phiz, as he was called, set out on a visit to the 
valley where he was born. Of course, he had no other object 
than to shake hands with his fellow-citizens, and neither thought 
nor cared about any effect which his progress through the coun- 
try might have upon the election. Magnificent preparations 
were made to receive the illustrious statesman; a cavalcade of 
horsemen set forth to meet him at the boundary line of the 
State, and all the people left their business and gathered along 
the wayside to see him pass. Among these was Ernest. 
Though more than once disappointed, as we have seen, he had 
such a hopeful and confiding nature, that he was always ready 
to believe in whatever seemed beautiful and good. He kept his 
heart continually open, and thus was sure to catch the blessing 
from on high when it should come. So now again, as buoyantly 
as ever, he went forth to behold the likeness of the Great Stone 
Face. 

24. The cavalcade came prancing along the road, with a great 
clattering of hoofs and a mighty cloud of dust, which rose up so 
dense and high that the visage of the mountain-side was com- 
pletely hidden from Ernest's eyes. All the great men of the 
neighborhood were there on horseback; militia officers, in uni- 
form; the member of Congress; the sheriff of the county; the 
editors of newspapers; and many a farmer, too, had mounted 
his patient steed, with his Sunday coat upon his back. It really 
was a very brilliant spectacle, especially as there were numerous 
banners flaunting over the cavalcade, on some of which were 
gorgeous portraits of the illustrious statesman and the Great 
Stone Face, smiling familiarly at one another, like two brothers. 
If the pictures were to be trusted, the mutual resemblance, it 
must be confessed, was marvellous. We must not forget to 
mention that there was a band of music, which made the echoes 
of the mountains ring and reverberate with the loud triumph of 
its strains; so that airy and soul-thrilling melodies broke out 
among all the heights and hollows, as if every nook of his native 



304 THE GREAT STONE FACE 

valley had found a voice, to welcome the distinguished guest. 
But the grandest effect was when the far-off mountain precipice 
flung back the music; for then the Great Stone Face itself 
seemed to be swelling the triumphant chorus, in acknowledg- 
ment that, at length, the man of prophecy was come. 

25. All this while the people were throwing up their hats and 
shouting, with enthusiasm so contagious that the heart of Er- 
nest kindled up, and he likewise threw up his hat, and shouted, 
as loudly as the loudest, " Huzza for the great man ! Huzza 
for Old Stony Phiz ! " But as yet he had not seen him. 

" Here he is, now ! " cried those who stood near Ernest. 
"There! There! Look at Old Stony Phiz, and then at the 
Old Man of the Mountain, and see if they are not as like as two 
twin-brothers ! " 

In the midst of all this gallant array came an open barouche, 
drawn by four white horses ; and in the barouche, with his mas- 
sive head uncovered, sat the illustrious statesman, Old Stony 
Phiz himself. 

" Confess it," said one of Ernest's neighbors to him, " the 
Great Stone Face has met its match at last ! " 

26. Now, it must be owned that, at his first glimpse of the 
countenance which was bowing and smiling from the barouche, 
Ernest did fancy that there was a resemblance between it and 
the old familiar face upon the mountain-side. The brow, with 
its massive depth and loftiness, and all the other features, in- 
deed, were boldly and strongly hewn, as if in emulation of a 
more than heroic, of a Titanic model. But the sublimity and 
stateliness, the grand expression of a divine sympathy, that 
illuminated the mountain visage and etherealized its ponderous 
granite substance into spirit, might here be sought in vain. 
Something had been originally left out, or had departed. And 
therefore the marvellously gifted statesman had always a weary 
gloom in the deep caverns of his eyes, as of a child that has 
outgrown its playthings or a man of mighty faculties and little 
aims, whose life, with all its high performances, was vague 
and empty, because no high purpose had endowed it with real- 
ity. 



THE GREAT STONE FACE 305 

Still, Ernest's neighbor was thrusting his elbow into his side, 
and pressing him for an answer. 

" Confess ! confess ! Is not he the very picture of your Old 
Man of the Mountain ? " 

" No ! " said Ernest, bluntly, " I see little or no likeness." 

" Then so much the worse for the Great Stone Face ! " an- 
swered his neighbor ; and again he set up a shout for Old Stony 
Phiz. 

2"j. But Ernest turned away, melancholy, and almost despond- 
ent : for this was the saddest of his disappointments, to behold a 
man who might have fulfilled the prophecy, and had not willed to 
do so. Meanwhile, the cavalcade, the banners, the music, and 
the barouches swept past him, with the vociferous crowd in the 
rear, leaving the dust to settle down, and the Great Stone Face 
to be revealed again, with the grandeur that it had worn for un- 
told centuries. 

" Lo, here I am, Ernest ! " the benign lips seemed to say. " I 
have waited longer than thou, and am not yet weary. Fear 
not ; the man will come." 

28. The years hurried onward, treading in their haste on one 
another's heels. And now they began to bring white hairs, and 
scatter them over the head of Ernest; they made reverend 
wrinkles across his forehead, and furrows in his cheeks. He 
was an aged man. But not in vain had he grown old: more 
than the white hairs on his head were the sage thoughts in his 
mind; his wrinkles and furrows were inscriptions that Time 
had graved, and in which he had written legends of wisdom 
that had been tested by the tenor of a life. And Ernest had 
ceased to be obscure. Unsought for, undesired, had come the 
fame which so many seek, and made him known in the great 
world, beyond the limits of the valley in which he had dwelt so 
quietly. College professors, and even the active men of cities, 
came from far to see and converse with Ernest; for the report 
had gone abroad that this simple husbandman had ideas unlike 
those of other men, not gained from books, but of a higher tone, 
— a tranquil and familiar majesty, as if he had been talking with 
the angels as his daily friends. Whether it were sage, states- 



306 THE GREAT STONE FACE 

man, or philanthropist, Ernest received these visitors with the 
gentle sincerity that had characterized him from boyhood, and 
spoke freely with them of whatever came uppermost, or lay 
deepest in his heart or their own. While they talked together, 
his face would kindle, unawares, and shine upon them, as with 
a mild evening light. Pensive with the fulness of such dis- 
course, his guests took leave and went their way; and passing 
up the valley, paused to look at the Great Stone Face, imagin- 
ing that they had seen its likeness in a human countenance, but 
could not remember where. 

29. While Ernest had been growing up and growing old, a 
bountiful Providence had granted a new poet to this earth. He, 
likewise, was a native of the valley, but had spent the greater 
part of his life at a distance from that romantic region, pouring 
out his sweet music amid the bustle and din of cities. Often, 
however, did the mountains which had been familiar to him in 
his childhood lift their snowy peaks into the clear atmosphere of 
his poetry. Neither was the Great Stone Face forgotten, for the 
poet had celebrated it in an ode, which was grand enough to have 
been uttered by its own majestic lips. This man of genius, we 
may say, had come down from heaven with wonderful endow- 
ments. If he sang of a mountain, the eyes of all mankind be- 
held a mightier grandeur reposing on its breast, or soaring to 
its summit, than had before been seen there. If his theme were 
a lovely lake, a celestial smile had now been thrown over it, 
to gleam forever on its surface. If it were the vast old sea, 
even the deep immensity of its dread bosom seemed to swell 
the higher, as if moved by the emotions of the song. Thus the 
world assumed another and a better aspect from the hour that 
the poet blessed it with his happy eyes. The Creator had be^ 
stowed him, as the last best touch to his own handiwork. Crea- 
tion was not finished till the poet came to interpret, 4 and so com- 
plete it. 

30. The effect was no less high and beautiful, when his human 
brethren were the subject of his verse. The man or woman, 

4 Poet came to interpret: Put into your own words Hawthorne's 
conception of the poet's mission on earth. 



THE GREAT STONE FACE 3°7 

sordid with the common dust of life, who crossed his daily path, 
and the little child who played in it, were glorified if he beheld 
them in his mood of poetic faith. He showed the golden links 
of the great chain that intertwined them with an angelic kin- 
dred; he brought out the hidden traits of a celestial birth that 
made them worthy of such kin. Some, indeed, there were, who 
thought to show the soundness of their judgment by affirming 
that all the beauty and dignity of the natural world existed only 
in the poet's fancy. Let such men speak for themselves, who 
undoubtedly appear to have been spawned forth by Nature 
with a contemptuous bitterness; she having plastered them 
up out of her refuse stuff, after all the swine were made. 
As respects all things else, the poet's ideal was the truest 
truth. 

31. The songs of this poet found their way to Ernest. He 
read them after his customary toil, seated on the bench before 
his cottage-door, where for such a length of time he had filled 
his repose with thought, by gazing at the Great Stone Face. 
And now as he read stanzas that caused the soul to thrill within 
him, he lifted his eyes to the vast countenance beaming on him 
so benignantly. 

" O majestic friend," he murmured, addressing the Great 
Stone Face, " is not this man worthy to resemble thee ? " 
The Face seemed to smile, but answered not a word. 

32. Now it happened that the poet, though he dwelt so far 
away, had not only heard of Ernest, but had meditated much 
upon his character, until he deemed nothing so desirable as to 
meet this man, whose untaught wisdom walked hand in hand 
with the noble simplicity of his life. One summer morning, 
therefore, he took passage by the railroad, and, in the decline of 
the afternoon, alighted from the cars at no great distance from 
Ernest's cottage. The great hotel, which had formerly been the 
palace of Mr. Gathergold, was close at hand, but the poet, with 
his carpetbag on his arm, inquired at once where Ernest dwelt, 
and was resolved to be accepted as his guest. 

Approaching the door, he there found the good old man, hold- 
ing a volume in his hand, which alternately he read, and then, 



308 THE GREAT STONE. FACE 

with a finger between the leaves-, looked lovingly at the Great 
Stone Face. 

" Good evening," said the poet. " Can you give a traveller a 
night's lodging?" 

" Willingly," answered Ernest ; and then he added, smiling, 
" Methinks I never saw the Great Stone Face look so hospitably 
at a stranger." 

33. The poet sat down on the bench beside him, and he and 
Ernest talked together. Often had the poet held intercourse 
with the wittiest and* the wisest, but never before with a man 
like Ernest, whose thoughts and feelings gushed up with such 
a natural freedom, and who made great truths so familiar by 
his simple utterance of them. Angels, as had been so often said, 
seemed to have wrought with him at his labor in the fields ; 
angels seemed to have sat with him by the fireside ; and, dwelling 
with angels as friend with friends, he had imbibed the sublimity 
of their ideas, and imbued it with the sweet and lowly charm of 
household words. So thought the poet. And Ernest, on the 
other hand, was moved and agitated by the living images which 
the poet flung out of his mind, and which peopled all the air 
about the cottage-door with shapes of beauty, both gay and 
pensive. The sympathies of these two men instructed them 
with a profounder sense than either could have attained alone. 
Their minds accorded into one strain, and made delightful music 
which neither of them could have claimed as all his own, nor 
distinguished his own share from the other's. They led one 
another, as it were, into a high pavilion of their thoughts, so 
remote, and hitherto so dim, that they had never entered it 
before, and so beautiful that they desired to be there always. 

34. As Ernest listened to the poet, he imagined that the Great 
Stone Face was bending forward to listen too. He gazed earn- 
estly into the poet's glowing eyes. 

"Who are you, my strangely gifted guest?" he said. 

The poet laid his finger on the volume that Ernest had been 
reading. 

" You have read these poems," said he. " You know me, 
then, — for I wrote them." 



THE GREAT STONE FACE 3°9 

Again, and still more earnestly than before, Ernest examined 
the poet's features; then turned towards the Great Stone Face; 
then back, with an uncertain aspect, to his guest. But his coun- 
tenance fell; he shook his head, and sighed. 

" Wherefore are you sad ? " inquired the poet. 

" Because," replied Ernest, " all through life I have awaited 
the fulfilment of a prophecy; and, when I read these poems, I 
hoped that it might be fulfilled in you." 

35. " You hoped," answered the poet, faintly smiling, " to find 
in me the likeness of the Great Stone Face. And you are dis- 
appointed, as formerly with Mr. Gathergold, and Old Blood- 
and-Thunder, and Old Stony Phiz. Yes, Ernest, it is my doom. 
You must add my name to the illustrious three, and record 
another failure of your hopes. For — in shame and sadness do 
I speak it, Ernest — I am not worthy to be typified by yonder 
benign and majestic image." 

" And why ? " asked Ernest. He pointed to the volume. 
" Are not those thoughts divine ? " 

" They have a strain of the Divinity," replied the poet. " You 
can hear in them the far-off echo of a heavenly song. But my 
life, dear Ernest, has not corresponded with my thought. I 
have had grand dreams, but they have been only dreams, be- 
cause I have lived — and that, too, by my own choice — among 
poor and mean realities. Sometimes even — shall I dare to say 
it ? — I lack faith in the grandeur, the beauty, and the goodness, 
which my own works are said to have made more evident in 
nature and in human life. Why, then, pure seeker of the good 
and true, shouldst thou hope to find me, in yonder image of the 
divine? " 

The poet spoke sadly, and his eyes were dim with tears. So, 
likewise, were those of Ernest. 

36. At the hour of sunset, as had long been his frequent cus- 
tom, Ernest was to discourse to an assemblage of the neighbor- 
ing inhabitants in the open air. He and the poet, arm in arm, 
still talking together as they went along, proceeded to the spot. 
It was a small nook among the hills, with a gray precipice be- 
hind, the stern front of which was relieved by the pleasant foli- 



310 THE GREAT STONE FACE 

age of many creeping plants that made a tapestry for the naked 
rock, by hanging their festoons from all its rugged angles. At a 
small elevation above the ground, set in a rich framework of 
verdure, there appeared a niche, spacious enough to admit a hu- 
man figure, with freedom for such gestures as spontaneously ac- 
company earnest thought and genuine emotion. Into this natural 
pulpit Ernest ascended, and threw a look of familiar kindness 
around upon his audience. They stood, or sat, or reclined upon 
the grass, as seemed good to each, with the departing sunshine 
falling obliquely over them, and mingling its subdued cheerful- 
ness with the solemnity of a grove of ancient trees, beneath and 
amid the boughs of which the golden rays were constrained to 
pass. In another direction was seen the Great Stone Face, with 
the same cheer, combined with the same solemnity, in its be- 
nignant aspect. 

37. Ernest began to speak, giving to the people of what was in 
his heart and mind. His words had power, because they ac- 
corded with his thoughts; and his thoughts had reality and 
depth, because they harmonized with the life which he had 
always lived. It was not mere breath that this preacher ut- 
tered ; they were the words of life, because a life of good deeds 
and holy love was melted into them. Pearls, pure and rich, had 
been dissolved into this precious draught. The poet, as he 
listened, felt that the being and character of Ernest were a 
nobler strain of poetry than he had ever written. His eyes 
glistening with tears, he gazed reverentially at the venerable 
man, and said within himself that never was there an aspect so 
worthy of a prophet and a sage as that mild, sweet, thoughtful 
countenance, with the glory of white hair diffused about it. At 
a distance, but distinctly to be seen, high up in the golden light 
of the setting sun, appeared the Great Stone Face, with hoary 
mists around it, like the white hairs around the brow of Ernest. 
Its look of grand beneficence seemed to embrace the world. 

38. At that moment, in sympathy with a thought which he was 
about to utter, the face of Ernest assumed a grandeur of ex- 
pression, so imbued with benevolence, that the poet, by an ir- 
resistible impulse, threw his arms aloft, and shouted, — 



THE GREAT STONE FACE 311 

" Behold ! Behold ! Ernest is himself the likeness of the 
Great Stone Face ! " 

Then all the people looked, and saw that what the deep- 
sighted poet said was true. The prophecy was fulfilled. But 
Ernest, having finished what he had to say, took the poet's arm, 
and walked slowly homeward, still hoping that some wiser and 
better man than himself would by and by appear, bearing a 
resemblance to the Great Stone Face." 5 

THE GREAT STONE FACE 
Class Discussion 

In what part of the United States is the scene of the story 
laid? Take your geography or atlas and locate the White 
Mountains. Have you ever seen rocks so thrown together 
as to outline against the sky the images of persons or things ? 
Do you think that the Great Stone Face was such an acci- 
dental arrangement of rocks ? Do you think the imagination 
of the people in the valley might have made the face appear 
more life-like than it really was ? Why did the face appear 
less life-like the nearer one approached it? 

What four men, other than Ernest, were thought to re- 
semble the face? Do their names give any indication as to 
their characters? What had each done to make the people 
see in him the image of the Great Stone Face? Which of 
them appears to have done the world the greatest amount of 
good? Do people to-day admire such men as Gathergold? 
As Old Blood-and-Thunder? As Old Stony Phiz? As the 
poet? Why could Ernest see no resemblance to the Great 
Stone Face in these men? 

What had Ernest done more than these men to be worthy 
of the great honor that came to him ? How old was he when 

5 Great Stone Face: Write the lesson of the tale in your own 
words. Then re-read the tale, marking the sentences which bring 
out this lesson. 



312 THE GREAT STONE FACE 

the poet discovered his resemblance to the face? Had he 
ever lived anywhere else except in the valley? Had the 
other men made their reputations at home? Do men have 
to leave home to become great? Did living always in the 
presence of the Great Stone Face have a good influence upon 
his life? Did he know that he resembled the face? Had 
he made an effort to become great ? In what did his great- 
ness consist? 

Can you point the moral in the story ? Can you apply the 
moral to any one you know? 



V 

WORDS 

Acquire a Good Vocabulary. A careful writer must 
have at his command a good working vocabulary. Without 
this he is sure to find it difficult to say precisely what he 
means. In reading the selections from literature you prob- 
ably found many unfamiliar words. In " The Legend of 
Sleepy Hollow/' for instance, you perhaps met for the first 
time inveterate, propensity, sequestered, wight, and cog- 
nomen. Such words, though rarely used in conversation, 
are found in books often enough to make it worth while to 
learn their meanings Acquire the habit of looking up in the 
dictionary the new words that you read or hear. 

Words You Know but Do Not Use. There are in your 
reading vocabulary a number of words that you do not feel 
free to use in conversation. For instance, exploit, reverie, 
imbibed, and migration were probably not unfamiliar when 
you met them in the reading of " The Legend of Sleepy Hol- 
low," and yet, it may be, you never use them. A word is 
not truly a part of your vocabulary until you are able to use 
it without embarrassment in speech or writing. By using 
one of these new words now and then you will gradually get 
easy command of it. Thus, little by little, you can enlarge 
your vocabulary. 

Theme I. Retell " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow " in 
300 words. Work into your story at least ten of the follow- 
ing words : 

313 



314 WORDS 

dominant spectre marvellous 

apparition pedagogue perverse 

legendary uncouth formidable 

psalmody exploit reverie 

coquette vicinity knight-errant 

Theme II. Write the story of "Rip. Van Winkle " in 
200 words. Work into your composition at least ten of the 
words listed below. Do not try to remember the connection 
in which they were used in the story, but use them wherever 
they seem to fit in best. If you do not know their meanings, 
look them up in the dictionary. 

summit amphitheatre pestilent 

perseverance apprehension stronghold 

aversion heredity singularity 

tranquillity perplexity sympathize 

antique by-stander ravine 

Theme III. Write a theme of 200 words entitled "The 
Town Loafer," describing some person, of your acquaintance 
whom the description of Rip calls to mind. If one of 
Irving's words suits the sense better than any you can think 
of, slip it into your composition but be careful not to use 
too many borrowed words. In this connection, note the fol- 
lowing words descriptive of Rip: good-natured, old-fash- 
ioned, obliging, long-suffering, foolish, contented. 

SPELLING 

Ability to Spell Is Necessary to Success. The im- 
portance of being able to spell correctly the words of or- 
dinary usage cannot be too strongly stressed. Your success 
in the profession, trade, or business you are to follow, may 
depend more than might be supposed upon your ability to 
spell. Many a deserving applicant for a position has been 
turned away by an employer simply because he misspelled 
a word in his application. Some people are naturally good 



WORDS 3*5 

spellers; others are not, and yet they acquire the art by 
constant care and practice. Carelessness is the greatest 
fault the poor speller has to overcome. 

Many words offer difficulty either because of their simil- 
arity to other words, or because of some peculiarity of 
structure. Too many rules for spelling are confusing, but 
a few rules, well selected and carefully memorized, may 
prove to be very useful. 

Exercises, i. Compare the words in the columns below. 
Add to each list as many words as you can call to mind. 
When you have completed the lists so far as you are able, 
memorize the words in the shorter list as the basis of a rule 
for the spelling of words belonging to these classes, 
exceed accede 

proceed precede 

succeed secede 

2. Pronounce each word as it is divided. Add several 
words to each list. 

a-cross ac-cept ap-parent 

a-rouse ac-cede ap-pearance 

a-rose ac-company ap-parel 

a-sleep ac-commodate ar-range 

a- f raid ac-knowledge at-tract 

3. Compare the plurals of the words in each column. 
Note that the plurals of the words in the first column are 
formed by changing y to i and adding es. Try to apply this 
rule to the words in the second column. What letter causes 
difficulty? State a rule that will apply to words in both 
columns. 

daisy, daisies chimney, chimneys 

ally, allies attorney, attorneys 

duty, duties delay, delays 

lady, ladies monkey, monkeys 

folly, follies valley, valleys 



316 WORDS 

4. Compare the words in the two columns. In the second 
column what letter precedes the letters eif Use this as a 
hint and make a rule that will hold for words in both 
columns. 

believe deceive 

shield receipt 

yield perceive 

niece ceiling 

retrieve deceit 

5. Homonyms are words that are pronounced alike and 
spelled differently. Several homonyms that are likely to 
cause trouble are given below. Add six other pairs to the 
list. 

Bear, meaning to carry 

Bare, meaning without covering 

Base, a location 
Bass, a deep tone 

Course, a way 
Coarse, rough 

Colonel, a commander 
Kernel, the heart of a nut 

Isle, an island 

Aisle, a passage in a church 

Piece, a part 
Peace, quiet 

Site, a situation 
Sight, a scene 

Soar, to Hy 
Sore, tender 



WORDS 317 

To, the preposition and the sign of the infinitive 
Too, the adverb 
Two, the numeral 

6. Observe carefully the words below. Note, first, that 
the final e is silent ; second, that all given suffixes begin with 
a vowel; third, that a consonant precedes the final e in all 
cases. 

Make a list of six other verbs that drop the final e before 
a vowel suffix. Find several verbs with a final e preceded 
by a vowel. Do these verbs also drop the final e? 
love loving 

come coming 

prove proving 

take taking 

move moving 

7. Note the following peculiarities of spelling: 

Also, already, altogether, almost, always have but one /. 

All right is a phrase. 

Until has only one /; till has two. 

O'clock always has the apostrophe. 

8. Miscellaneous words often misspelled : 

achievement judgment 

analyze martial 

apparatus measurement, 

architect miracle 

athletics muscle 

balance necessary 

boundary opportunity 

business origin , 

campaign parallel 

commercial persuade 

.community pre j udice 

committee preliminary 

conscience preparatory 



3i8 



WORDS 




courtesy 


possession 


decision 


professor 


definite 


recommend 


development 


restaurant 


disappointment 


separate 


dormitory- 


similar 


dyspepsia 


sincerely 


efficiency 


stomach 


embarrass 


surprise 


envelope 


thoroughly 


foreign 


tragedy 


imagine 


vegetable 


immediately 


villain 


immigration 


whether 



CHOICE OF WORDS 

The Use of Slang. All your life you have heard more 
or less about proper and improper speech. You have been 
told that certain words are correct and certain others are in- 
correct. There are words, for instance, in daily use on the 
street or the playground, that are condemned as improper 
by polite society. To mention only a few, such words as 
scrap, swipe, pal, and cinch are expressive enough in their 
way when you are talking to a school-mate, but they^ are 
felt to be out of place in your conversation with older and 
better educated people. No really cultured person is likely 
to use these words in either conversation or written dis- 
course. They are slang expressions that have crept into the 
language and have not yet been recognized by the best 
writers. The use of slang must be avoided. 

Exercise. Pick out the slang expressions in the follow- 
ing sentences. Substitute a better expression for each. 

1. The examination was a cinch. 

2. The police forced the burglar to squeal, on hi§ pals. 



WORDS 3 X 9 

3. Shorty Jones next picked up the stick and smote the 
pill for a three-bagger. 

4. The grind never looks for a soft snap. 

5. Ladies and gents will please enter through the main 
entrance. 

6. We are not knockers ; we are all boosters. 

7. You will have to cut out your foolishness. 

8. The fake was soon discovered and the grafters landed 
in the pen. 

9. It takes snap and ginger to win a foot-ball game. 

10. How cute she looked as she waved her handkerchief 
from the window ! 

Avoid Provincialisms. There are a number of words 
in use in one section of the country which people living in 
other sections do not understand. Such words are called 
provincialisms. You should write with the view of making 
your meaning clear to people living in every part of America. 

Exercise. Substitute good English words for the 
italicized provincialisms. 

1. Rip Van Winkle was a clever fellow, as is shown by 
his willingness to oblige his neighbors. 

2. I reckon the school-master was ashamed to show his 
face in Sleepy Hollow again. 

3. Ichabod Crane lived in Tarrytown right near New 
York. 

4. Brom Bones was a right smart heavier man than 
Ichabod. 

5. The keg of liquor was all Rip could tote. 

6. He lashed the horse with the lines. 

7. I will walk a piece of the way with you. 

8. From sun-up to sun-down you could hear the bellows 
roar. 

9. Lincoln was born and raised in the West. 



320 WORDS 

10. When the Dutchmen were through with their liquor, 
they went back to the game. 

The Language of Conversation. The language of con- 
versation differs somewhat from the language employed in 
serious writings. For example, some of the words classed 
as provincialisms in the last section may be regarded as 
permissible in ordinary conversation. No one need be stiff 
and bookish in conversation, yet no one is permitted the use 
of slang or the liberty of being ungrammatical. The lan- 
guage of composition is expected to be more precise than 
spoken language. It must be remembered that a reader is 
forced to form his opinion of the writer almost wholly from 
the writer's choice and arrangement of words. Hence it is 
necessary that your words should be well chosen and well 
arranged. 

Avoid Improprieties. There are two classes of im- 
proprieties. 

1. Words similar in form or meaning are sometimes 
confused. The following pairs of, words may be mentioned 
as belonging to this class : 

i. Accept, to receive 
Except, to exclude 

2. Continual, repeated action 
Continuous, uninterrupted action 

3. Healthy, possessing health 
Healthful, capable of giving health 

4. Likely, probable 

Liable, should not be used for likely except to refer 
to that which is undesirable 

5. Funny, humorous 
Odd, unusual 

6. Gentleman, a man of cultured tastes 
Man, male human being 



WORDS 3 21 

7. Lady, a cultured woman 
Woman, female human being 

8. Person, a human being 

Party, should not be used for person except in legal 
language 

9. Mad, insane 
Angry, enraged 

10. Quite, wholly, altogether 
Somewhat, slightly 

11. Statue, the figure of a man or an animal 
Stature, the natural height of a man or an animal 
Statute, a legislative enactment 

12. Expect, to look forward to as probable 
Suppose, to think or to imagine as true 

Exercise. Fill the blanks in each sentence with one of 
the words in parentheses and explain your choice in each 
instance. 

1. The climate of California is said to be very — 

(healthy, healthful). 

2. The baron was (quite, somewhat) alarmed over 

the delay of the bridegroom. 

3. The squire was a (man, gentleman) who 

prided himself upon his hospitality. 

4. I (excepted, accepted) the invitation to spend 

the holidays at Bracebridge Hall. 

5. The debate must be decided by the judge or some dis- 
interested (party, person). 

6. He is (mad, angry) and not- (likely, 

liable) to attend the game. 

7. Master Simon was a (funny, odd) little man 

who loved the old Christmas customs. 

8. The of the sculptor's was limited by a 

municipal (statue, stature, statute). 

9. Gathergold was a selfish (person, party) who 



322 WORDS 

was not (liable, likely) to hold the love of the people. 

10. I (expect, suppose) the presence of the Great 

Stone Face had a powerful influence upon the life of Ernest. 

II. One part of speech is sometimes improperly made to 
take the place of another. For instance, the noun wire can- 
not be used as a verb in the sentence, "He wired the news." 
Likewise the word real is an adjective and, as such, it 
must modify a noun. It is incorrectly used in the sentence, 
"I will come real soon," because it is used as an adverb to 
modify the adverb soon. 

Exercise. To what part of speech does each of the 
italicized words belong in its present use? To what part of 
speech does it regularly belong? Substitute the correct 
word in each sentence. 

Model 

Ichabod received an invite to the party. 
Invite is here used as a noun. It is regularly a verb. 
The correct word in this sentence is invitation. 

1. The two corporations formed a combine. 

2. Brom threw the pumpkin and downed him on the spot. 

3. I feel some better since the operation. 

4. Each man took a try at putting the shot. 

5. Rip was a happy, good-natured human. 

6. Cleopatra suicided before she was captured. 

7. The grading improved the athletic field considerable. 

8. Them boys are the worst in town. 

9. Elizabeth suspicioned that Mary Stuart was conspiring 
to secure the throne of England. 

10. The old man would stay on a drunk for days. 

11. I don't enthuse over the prospect. 

12. The ball player has received a bid to a major league. 

13. I feel tolerable well. 

14. Plenty people thought Old Stony Phiz a great man. 



WORDS 323 

15. Gold was plenty when the Klondike mines were dis- 
covered. 

Poetic Language. Occasionally a young writer is 
tempted to use high-sounding words which he has picked 
up from his reading of poetry. You should remember that 
poets have a peculiar privilege with language. They are 
permitted to use words which have passed out of use in 
prose, to contract words not usually contracted, and even to 
coin words to suit an occasion. Such practices are never 
permitted in serious prose. 

Exercise. Substitute for the italicized poetic words, 
words suited to the language of prose. 

1. The ghost must reach the graveyard ere break of day. 

2. 'Twas a brilliant, sunny mom when the battle began. 

3. The Raven quoth " Nevermore " every time the poet 
addressed it. 

4. Melrose Abbey is magnificent, yea sublime, in its decay. 

5. Oft-times I am tempted to visit you. 

6. Mayhap it was of days of yore when fairies played 
together on the hearth, that you were thinking. 

7. The Spectre Bridegroom spake in solemn tones, " The 
worms ! the worms ! " 

8. Albeit he was a man of unusual powers, he was very 
modest. 

9. 'Tis a pleasure to read a novel describing one's own 
people. 

10. Ever and anon the lovers stole sly glances at eacn other. 
Avoid Foreign and Technical Words. In composition 
intended for the public be on your guard against the use of 
words that a man of ordinary intelligence would not be 
likely to understand; such, for example, are foreign words 
that have not yet come into general use. Especially should 
you be careful not to use technical words, that is, words 
peculiar to the language of some branch of science. 



324 WORDS 

Terms Used in Games. In the class of technical words 
may be mentioned words peculiar to games, such as base- 
ball or football. Words like half-back, touch-down, punt, 
strike, hit, foul, etc., are in good use when you are writing- 
articles intended to be read only by those who understand 
these games. Elderly ladies and gentlemen would in many 
cases find themselves quite at sea trying to interpret a com- 
position in which these were freely used. Whenever you 
find it necessary to use such terms, take pains to explain 
them. 

Newspaper Slang. In addition to words peculiar to the 
sports, there are certain slang words made familiar from 
newspaper accounts of games, which cannot be used in a 
theme under any circumstances. 

When Is a Word in Good Use? What determines the 
fitness of a word for serious composition ? We have found 
that slang is to be avoided; that provincialisms cannot be 
permitted; that the language of poetry is unfit; and that 
even the language of polite conversation is hardly pure 
enough for written discourse. 

Usage the Standard. The standard by which we deter- 
mine the fitness of a word for composition is usage ; that is 
to say, if the best writers and speakers of the present time 
use a word, it is in good use. 

This statement requires further explanation. 

Best Writers and Speakers. The best writers and 
speakers refers to men who have attained national reputa- 
tion in literature or,in speaking. There are few men who 
may be regarded as authorities on usage. Newspaper 
writers, for instance, and many writers for the current 
periodicals are careless in their use of language; and so 
newspapers and magazines cannot be listed as authorities on 
usage. 

Of the Present Time. Language is constantly changing. 



WORDS 325 

Within the last century, and even within the last ten years, 
a number of foreign words have been adopted, and many 
slang expressions have come into good usage. Numerous 
words, such as aeroplane and graphophone, have been coined 
to meet the demands of science and invention. Within the 
same period certain other words have passed out of use. 
To say, then, that a word is in good use because Shake- 
speare used it, is not to give a good reason, for language has 
undergone many changes since his time. A word is in 
good use when it has been used by the best writers and 
speakers of the present time. 

The Dictionary. When in doubt about a word the best 
authority to consult is a complete dictionary. The larger 
dictionaries mark as colloquial, slang, or obsolete, words 
that are not in good use. 

General and Specific Words. A word that conveys a 
particular meaning is more vivid than one that conveys a 
general meaning. The word person is not so expressive as 
bachelor,' or the word workman as gardener. When it is 
possible to use a word that conveys a single idea peculiar 
to that word, use it in preference to a more general term. 

Exercise. Select more specific words for each of the 
following : 
book 
house 
laborer 
vehicle 

Synonyms. The charm of a writer's style lies largely in 
his ability to use the word which expresses his meaning as 
exactly as possible. In the English language there are often 
several words that mean very nearly the same thing, but 
differ slightly in shade of meaning. For instance, in the 
first paragraph of " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow " we find 
the word spacious, for which we could substitute almost as 



animal 


conveyance 


tree 


garment 


servant 


merchandise 


bird 


composition 


quadruped 


building 


move 


material 



3^6 WORDS 

well the words roomy, large, or ample. Still none of these 
would fill the place quite so well as spacious does. Spacious 
is the exact word. Words of similar meaning are synonyms. 
Exercises, i. Give synonyms for the words below. 
Consult the dictionary if you cannot think of them readily, 
allow ask carry differ brave 

generous lovely quick clean true 

evil honest slow kind bright 

2. Rewrite the first paragraph of " The Legend of Sleepy 
Hollow," giving synonyms for the following words : 
denominated navigators ancient St. Nicholas 
rural adjacent tavern inveterate propensity 

advert precise authentic glides 

repose occasional uniform tranquillity 



VI 
THE GOLDEN TOUCH 1 

i. Once upon a time, there lived a very rich man, and a king 
besides, whose name was Midas 2 ; and he had a little daughter, 
whom nobody but myself ever heard of, and whose name 1 
either never knew, or have entirely forgotten. So, because 1 
love odd names for little girls, I choose to call her Marygold. 

2. This King Midas was fonder of gold than of anything else 
in the world. He valued his royal crown chiefly because it was 
composed of that precious metal. If he loved anything better, 
or half so well, it was the one little maiden who played so merrily 
around her father's footstool. But the more Midas loved his 
daughter, the more did he desire and seek for wealth. He 
thought, foolish man ! that the best thing he could possibly do 
for this dear child would be to bequeath her the immensest pile 

[Printed by permission of the authorized publishers, Houghton, 
Mifflin and Company.] 

, 1 The 1 Golden Touch is from The Wonder Book, a collection of 
Greek tales which Hawthorne retold and to which he added, to use 
his own words, " a moral whenever practicable." Other stories in 
the collection are those of Pandora's Box and The Golden Apples of 
the Hesperides. Hawthorne's style is simple and wonderfully fresh, 
and though these are also " twice told tales," they lose nothing in the 
retelling. 

2 Midas: According to the Greek legend King Midas showed kind- 
ness to Silenus, the tutor of Bacchus, and in return therefor Bacchus 
granted him his choice of a reward. Midas chose the golden touch 
with results similar to those narrated in the tale. See Gayley's 
Classic Myths, page 179. Hawthorne has veiled the character of 
Bacchus under that of " the stranger " and has modernized the story 
in many of its details. He also invented the character of Marygold 
in order to make the story attractive to children and to enforce its 
moral. 

327 



3^8 THE GOLDEN TOUCH 

of yellow, glistening coin, that had ever been heaped together 
since the world was made. Thus, he gave all his thoughts and 
all his time to this one purpose. If ever he happened to gaze 
for an instant at the gold-tinted clouds of sunset, he wished that 
they were real gold, and that they could be squeezed safely into 
his strong box. When little Marygold ran to meet him, with 
a bunch of buttercups and dandelions, he used to say, " Poh, 
poh, child ! If these flowers were as golden as they look, they 
would be worth the plucking ! " 

3. And yet, in his earlier days, before he was so entirely pos- 
sessed of this insane desire for riches, King Midas had shown 
a great taste for flowers. He had planted a garden, in which 
grew the biggest and beautifullest and sweetest roses that any 
mortal ever saw or smelt. These roses were still growing in 
the garden, as large, as lovely, and as fragrant, as when Midas 
used to pass whole hours in gazing at them, and inhaling their 
perfume. But now, if he looked at them at all, it was only to 
calculate how much the garden would be worth, if each of the 
innumerable rose-petals were a thin plate of gold. And though 
he once was fond of music (in spite of an idle story about his 
ears, 3 which were said to resemble those of an ass), the only 
music for poor Midas, now, was the chink of one coin against 
another. 

4. At length (as people always grow more and more foolish, 
unless they take care to grow wiser and wiser), Midas had got 
to be so exceedingly unreasonable, that he could scarcely bear 
to see or touch any object that was not gold. He made it his 
custom, therefore, to pass a large portion of every day in a 
dark and dreary apartment, under ground, at the basement of 

3 An idle story about his ears: When Midas preferred the music 
of Pan to that of Apollo, the latter promptly changed his ears into 
those of an ass. " King Midas tried to hide his misfortune under an 
ample turban. But his hair-dresser found it too much for his dis- 
cretion to keep such a secret ; he dug a hole in the ground and, stoop- 
ing down, whispered the story and covered it up. But a thick bed 
of reeds springing up in the meadow began whispering the story and 
has continued to do so from that day to this, every time a breeze 
passes over the place." Gayley's Classic Myths, page 137. 



THE GOLDEN TOUCH 3 2 9 

his palace. It was here that he kept his wealth. To this dis- 
mal hole — for it was little better than a dungeon — Midas 
betook himself, whenever he wanted to be particularly happy. 
Here, after carefully locking the door, he would take a bag of 
gold coin, or a gold cup as big as a wash-bowl, or a heavy golden 
bar, or a peck-measure of gold-dust, and bring them from the 
obscure corners of the room into the one bright and narrow 
sunbeam that fell from the dungeon-like window. He valued 
the sunbeam for no other reason but that his treasure would 
not shine without its help. And then would he reckon over the 
coins in the bag; toss up the bar, and catch it as it came down; 
sift the gold-dust through his fingers; look at the funny image 
of his own face, as reflected in the burnished circumference of 
the cup ; and whisper to himself, " O Midas, rich King Midas, 
what a happy man art thou ! " But it was laughable to see how 
the image of his face kept grinning at him, out of the polished 
surface of the cup. It seemed to be aware of his foolish be- 
haviour, and to have a naughty inclination to make fun of him, 

5. Midas called himself a happy man, but felt that he was not 
yet quite so happy as he might be. The very tiptop of enjoy- 
ment would never be reached, unless the whole world were to 
become his treasure-room, and be filled with yellow metal which 
should be all his own. 

Now, I need hardly remind such wise little people as you are, 
that in the old, old times, when King Midas was alive, a great 
many things came to pass which we should consider wonderful 
if they were to happen in our own day and country. And, on 
the other hand, a great many things take place nowadays which 
seem not only wonderful to us, but at which the people of old 
times would have stared their eyes out. On the whole, I regard 
our own times as the strangest of the two; but, however that 
may be, I must go on with my story. 

6. Midas was enjoying himself in his treasure-room one day, 
as usual, when he perceived a shadow fall over the heaps of gold ; 
and, looking suddenly up, what should he behold but the figure 
of a stranger, standing in the bright and narrow sunbeam! It 
was a young man, with a cheerful and ruddy face. Whether it 



330 THE GOLDEN TOUCH 

was that the imagination of King Midas threw a yellow tinge 
over everything, or whatever the cause might be, he could not 
help fancying that the smile with which the stranger regarded 
him had a kind of golden radiance in it. Certainly, although his 
figure intercepted the sunshine, there was now a brighter gleam 
upon all the piled-up treasures than before. Even the remotest 
corners had their share of it, and were lighted up, when the 
stranger smiled, as with tips of flame and sparkles of fire. 

7. As Midas knew that he had carefully turned the key in the 
lock, and that no mortal strength could possibly break into his 
treasure-room, he, of course, concluded that his visitor must be 
something more than mortal. It is no matter about telling you 
who he was. In those days, when the earth was comparatively 
a new affair, it was supposed to be often the resort of beings 
endowed with supernatural powers, and who used to interest 
themselves in the joys and sorrows of men, women, and chil- 
dren, half playfully and half seriously. Midas had met such 
beings before now, and was not sorry to meet one of them 
again. The stranger's aspect, indeed, was so good-humoured 
and kindly, if not beneficent, that it would have been unreason- 
able to suspect him of intending any mischief. It was far more 
probable that he came to do Midas a favour. And what could 
that favour be, unless to multiply his heaps of treasure? 

8. The stranger gazed about the room; and when his lustrous 
smile had glistened upon all the golden objects that were there, 
he turned again to Midas. 

" You are a wealthy man, friend Midas ! " he observed. " I 
doubt whether any other four walls on earth contain so much 
gold as you have contrived to pile up in this room." 

" I have done pretty well — pretty well," answered Midas, in 
a discontented tone. " But, after all, it is but a trifle, when you 
consider that it has taken me my whole life to get it together. 
If one could live a thousand years, he might have time to grow 
rich ! " 

" What ! " exclaimed the stranger. " Then you are not satis- 
fied?" 

Midas shook his head. 



THE GOLDEN TOUCH 33 l 

"And pray what would satisfy you?" asked the stranger. 
" Merely for the curiosity of the thing, I should be glad to 
know." 

9. Midas paused and meditated. He felt a presentiment that 
this stranger, with such a golden lustre in his good-humoured 
smile, had come hither with both the power and the purpose of 
gratifying his utmost wishes. Now, therefore, was the fortu- 
nate moment, when he had but to speak, and obtain whatever 
possible, or seemingly impossible thing, it might come into his 
head to ask. So he thought, and thought, and thought, and 
heaped up one golden mountain upon another, in his imagina- 
tion, without being able to imagine them big enough. At last, 
a bright idea occurred to King Midas. It seemed really as 
bright as the glistening metal which he loved so much. 

Raising his head, he looked the lustrous stranger in the 
face. 

" Well, Midas," observed his visitor, " I see that you have at 
length hit upon something that will satisfy you. Tell me your 
wish." 

" It is only this," replied Midas. " I am weary of collecting 
my treasures with so much trouble, and beholding the heap so 
diminutive after I have done my best. I wish everything that 
I touch to be changed to gold ! " 

10. The stranger's smile grew so very broad, that it seemed to 
fill the room like an outburst of the sun gleaming into a shadowy 
dell, where the yellow autumnal leaves — for so< looked the 
lumps and particles of gold — lie strewn in the glow of light. 

" The Golden Touch ! " exclaimed he. " You certainly de- 
serve credit, friend Midas, for striking out so brilliant a con- 
ception. But are you quite sure that this will satisfy you ? " 

" How could it fail ? " said Midas. 

" And will you never regret the possession of it ? " 

" What could induce me ? " asked Midas. " I ask nothing else 
to render me perfectly happy." 

" Be it as you wish, then," replied the stranger, waving his 
hand in token of farewell. " To-morrow, at sunrise, you will 
find yourself gifted with the Golden Touch." 



33 2 THE GOLDEN TOUCH 

The figure of the stranger then became exceedingly bright, 
and Midas involuntarily closed his eyes. On opening them 
again, he beheld only one yellow sunbeam in the room, and, all 
around him, the glistening of the precious metal which he had 
spent his life in hoarding up. 

ii. Whether Midas slept as usual that night, the story does not 
say. Asleep or awake, however, his mind was probably in the 
state of a child's, to whom a beautiful new plaything has been 
promised in the morning. At any rate, day had hardly peeped 
over the hills, when King Midas was broad awake, and, stretch- 
ing his arms out of bed, began to touch the objects that were 
within reach. He was anxious to prove whether the Golden 
Touch had really come, according to the stranger's promise. 
So he laid his finger on a chair by the bedside, and on various 
other things, but was grievously disappointed to perceive that 
they remained of exactly the same substance as before. In- 
deed, he felt very much afraid that he had only dreamed about 
the lustrous stranger, or else that the latter had been making 
game of him. And what a miserable affair would it be, if, after 
all his hopes, Midas must content himself with what little gold 
he could scrape together by ordinary means, instead of creating 
it by a touch ! 

12. All this while, it was only the grey of the morning, with 
but a streak of brightness along the edge of the sky, where Midas 
could not see it. He lay in a very disconsolate mood, regretting 
the downfall of his hopes, and kept growing sadder and sadder, 
until the earliest sunbeam shone through the window, and gilded 
the ceiling over his head. It seemed to Midas that this bright 
yellow sunbeam was reflected in rather a singular way on the 
white covering of the bed. Looking more closely, what was 
his astonishment and delight, when he found that this linen 
fabric had been transmuted to what seemed a woven texture of 
the purest and brightest gold ! The Golden Touch had come to 
him, with the first sunbeam ! 

13. Midas started up, in a kind of joyful frenzy, and ran about 
the room, grasping at everything that happened to be in his way. 
He seized one of the bed-posts, and it became immediately a 



THE GOLDEN TOUCH 333 

fluted golden pillar. He pulled aside a window-curtain, in order 
to admit a clear spectacle of the wonders which he was per- 
forming; and the tassel grew heavy in his hand — a mass of 
gold. He took up a book from the table. At his first touch it 
assumed the appearance of such a splendidly-bound and gilt- 
edged volume as one often meets with nowadays; but, on run- 
ning his fingers through the leaves, behold ! it was a bundle of 
thin golden plates, in which all the wisdom of the book had 
grown illegible. He hurriedly put on his clothes, and was en- 
raptured to see himself in a magnificent suit of gold cloth, which 
retained its flexibility and softness, although it burdened him a 
little with its weight. He drew out his handkerchief, which 
little Marygold had hemmed for him. That was likewise gold, 
with the dear child's neat and pretty stitches running all along 
the border, in gold thread ! 

Somehow or other, this last transformation did not quite please 
King Midas. He would rather that his little daughter's handi- 
work should have remained just the same as when she climbed 
his knee, and put it into his hand. 

14. But it was not worth while to vex himself about a trifle. 
Midas now took his spectacles from his pocket and put them on 
his nose, in order that he might see more distinctly what he was 
about. In those days, spectacles for common people had not 
been invented, but were already worn by kings ; else, how could 
Midas have had any? To his great perplexity, however, ex- 
cellent as the glasses were, he discovered that he could not- pos- 
sibly see through them. But this was the most natural thing in 
the world; for, on taking them off, the transparent crystals 
turned out to be plates of yellow metal, and, of course, were 
worthless as spectacles, though valuable as gold. It struck 
Midas as rather inconvenient, that, with all his wealth, he could 
never again be rich enough to own a pair of serviceable spec- 
tacles. 

" It is no great matter, nevertheless," said he to himself, very 
philosophically. " We cannot expect any great good, without 
its being accompanied with some small inconvenience. The 
Golden Touch is worth the sacrifice of a pair of spectacles, at 



334 THE GOLDEN TOUCH 

least, if not of one's very eye-sight. My own eyes will serve for 
ordinary purposes, and little Marygold will soon be old enough 
to read to me." 

15. Wise King Midas was so exalted by his good fortune that 
the palace seemed not sufficiently spacious to contain him. He 
therefore went down-stairs, and smiled, on observing that the 
balustrade of the staircase became a bar of burnished gold, as 
his hand passed over it in his descent. He lifted the door latch 
(it was brass only a moment ago, but golden when his fingers 
quitted it), and emerged into the garden. Here, as it happened, 
he found a great number of beautiful roses in full bloom, and 
others in all the stages of lovely bud and blossom. Very deli- 
cious was their fragrance in the morning breeze. Their delicate 
blush was one of the fairest sights in the world: so gentle, so 
modest, and so full of sweet tranquillity, did these roses seem 
to be. 

16. But Midas knew a way to make them far more precious, 
according to his way of thinking, than roses had ever been be- 
fore. So he took great pains in going from bush to bush, and 
exercised his magic touch most indefatigably ; until every in- 
dividual flower and bud, and even the worms at the heart of 
some of them, were changed to gold. By the time this good 
work was completed, King Midas was summoned to breakfast; 
and, as the morning air had given him an excellent appetite, he 
made haste back to the palace. 

17. What was usually a king's breakfast, in the days of Midas, 
I really do not know, and cannot stop now to investigate. To 
the best of my belief, however, on this particular morning, the 
breakfast consisted of hot cakes, some nice little brook-trout, 
roasted potatoes, fresh boiled eggs, and coffee, for King Midas 
himself and a bowl of bread and milk for his daughter Mary- 
gold. At all events, this is a breakfast fit to set before a king; 
and, whether he had it or not, King Midas could not have had a 
better. 

18. Little Marygold had not yet made her appearance. Her 
father ordered her to be called, and, seating himself at table, 
awaited the child's coming, in order to begin his own breakfast. 



THE GOLDEN TOUCH 335 

To do Midas justice, he really loved his daughter, and loved her 
so much the more this morning, on account of the good fortune 
which had befallen him. It was not a great while before he 
heard her coming along the passage-way, crying bitterly. This 
circumstance surprised him, because Marygold was one of the 
cheerfullest little people whom you would see in a summer's 
day, and hardly shed a thimbleful of tears in a twelvemonth. 
When Midas heard her sobs, he determined to put little Mary- 
gold into better spirits, by an agreeable surprise; so, leaning 
across the table, he touched his daughter's bowl (which was a 
China one, with pretty figures all around it), and transmuted it 
to gleaming gold. 

19. Meanwhile, Marygold slowly and disconsolately opened 
the door, and showed herself with her apron at her eyes, still 
sobbing as if her heart would break. 

" How now, my little lady ! " cried Midas. " Pray, what is 
the. matter with you, this bright morning ?" 

Marygold, without taking the apron from her eyes, held out 
her hand, in which was one of the roses which Midas had so 
recently transmuted. 

" Beautiful ! " exclaimed her father. " And what is there in 
this magnificent golden rose to make you cry? " 

" Ah, dear father ! " answered the child, as well as her sobs 
would let her; "it is not beautiful, but the ugliest flower that 
ever grew ! As soon as I was dressed, I ran into the garden to 
gather some roses for you ; because I know you like them, and 
like them the better when gathered by your little daughter. 
But, oh dear, dear me ! What do you think has happened ? 
Such a misfortune ! All the beautiful roses, that smelled so 
sweetly and had so many lovely blushes, are blighted and spoilt ! 
They are grown quite yellow, as you see this one, and have no 
longer any fragrance ! What can have been the matter with 
them?" 

20. " Poh, my dear little girl — pray don't cry about it ! " said 
Midas, who was ashamed to confess that he himself had wrought 
the change which so greatly afflicted her. " Sit down and eat 
your bread and milk ! You will find it easy enough to exchange 



336 THE GOLDEN TOUCH 

a golden rose like that (which will last hundreds of years), for 
an ordinary one, which would wither in a day." 

" I don't care for such roses as this ! " cried Marygold, tossing 
it contemptuously away. " It has no smell, and the hard petals 
prick my nose ! " 

The child now sat down to table, but was so occupied with 
her grief for the blighted roses that she did not even notice the 
wonderful transmutation of her China bowl. Perhaps this was 
all the better; for Marygold was accustomed to take pleasure 
in looking at the queer figures, and strange trees and houses, 
that were painted on the circumference of the bowl; and these 
ornaments were now entirely lost in the yellow hue of the 
metal. 

21. Midas, meanwhile, had poured out a cup of coffee; and, as 
a matter of course, the coffee-pot, whatever metal it may have 
been when he took it up, was gold when he set it down. He 
thought to himself that it was rather an extravagant style of 
splendour, in a king of his simple habits, to breakfast off a 
service of gold, and began to be puzzled with the difficulty of 
keeping his treasures safe. The cupboard and the kitchen 
would no longer be a secure place of deposit for articles so 
valuable as golden bowls and coffee-pots. 

Amid these thoughts, he lifted a spoonful of coffee to his lips, 
and, sipping it, was astonished to perceive that, the instant his 
lips touched the liquid, it became molten gold, and, the next 
moment, hardened into a lump. 

" Ha ! " exclaimed Midas, rather aghast. 

"What is the matter, father ?" asked little Marygold, gazing 
at him, with the tears still standing in her eyes. 

" Nothing, child, nothing ! " said Midas. " Eat your milk, be- 
fore it gets quite cold." 

22. He took one of the nice little trouts on his plate, and, by 
way of experiment, touched its tail with his finger. To his hor- 
ror, it was immediately, transmuted from an admirably-fried 
brook-trout into a gold fish, though not one of those gold-fishes 
which people often keep in glass globes, as ornaments for the 
parlour. No ; but it was really a metallic fish, and looked as if it 



THE GOLDEN TOUCH 337 

had been very cunningly made by the nicest goldsmith in the 
world. Its little bones were now golden wires; its fins and tail 
were thin plates of gold ; and there were the marks of the fork in 
it, and all the delicate, frothy appearance of a nicely fried fish, 
exactly imitated in metal. A very pretty piece of work, as you 
may suppose; only King Midas, just at that moment, would 
much rather have had a real trout in his dish than this elaborate 
and valuable imitation of one. 

" I don't quite see," thought he to himself, " how I am to get 
any breakfast ! " 

23. He took one of the smoking-hot cakes, and had scarcely 
broken it when, to his cruel mortification, though a moment be- 
fore it had been of the whitest wheat, it assumed the yellow hue 
of Indian meal. To say the truth, if it had really been a hot In- 
dian cake, Midas would have prized it a good deal more than he 
now did, when its solidity and increased weight made him too 
bitterly sensible that it was gold. Almost in despair, he helped 
himself to a boiled egg, which immediately underwent a change 
similar to those of the trout and the cake. The egg } indeed, 
might have been mistaken for one of those which the famous 
goose, 4 in the story-book, was in the habit of laying; but King 
Midas was the only goose that had had anything to do with the 
matter. 

" Well, this is a quandary ! " thought he, leaning back in his 
chair, and looking quite enviously at little Marygold, who was 
now eating her bread and milk with great satisfaction. " Such a 
costly breakfast before me, and nothing that can be eaten ! " 

24. Hoping that, by dint of great dispatch, he might avoid 
what he now felt to be a considerable inconvenience, King Mi- 
das next snatched a hot potato, and attempted to cram it into his 
mouth, and swallow it in a hurry. But the Golden Touch was 
too nimble for him. He found his mouth full, not of mealy po- 
tato, but of solid metal, which so burnt his tongue that he roared 
aloud, and, jumping up from the table, began to dance and 
stamp about the room, both with pain and affright. 

4 The famous goose in the story book: ^Esop's fable of the goose 
that laid the golden egg. 



338 THE GOLDEN TOUCH 

" Father, dear father ! " cried little Marygold, who was a very 
affectionate child, "pray what is the matter? Have you burnt 
your mouth ? " 

" Ah, dear child/' groaned Midas, dolefully, " I don't know 
what is to become of your poor father ! " 

25. And, truly, my dear little folks, did you ever hear of such 
a pitiable case, in all your lives ? Here was literally the richest 
breakfast that could be set before a king, and its very richness 
made it absolutely good for nothing. The poorest labourer, sit- 
ting down to his crust of bread and cup of water, was far better 
off than King Midas, whose delicate food was really worth its 
weight in gold. And what was to be done ? Already, at break- 
fast, Midas was excessively hungry. Would he be less so by 
dinner-time ? And how ravenous would be his appetite for sup- 
per, which must undoubtedly consist of the same sort of in- 
digestible dishes as those now before him ! How many days, 
think you, would he survive a continuance of this rich fare ? 

26. These reflections so troubled wise King Midas, that he be- 
gan to doubt whether, after all, riches are the one desirable 
thing in the world, or even the most desirable. But this was 
only a passing thought. So fascinated was Midas with the glit- 
ter of the yellow metal, that he would still have refused to give 
up the Golden Touch for so paltry a consideration as a break- 
fast. Just imagine what a price for one meal's victuals ! It 
would have been the same as paying millions and millions of 
money (and as many millions more as would take forever to 
reckon up) for some fried trout, an egg, a potato, a hot cake, 
and a cup of coffee ! 

" It would be quite too dear," thought Midas. 

27. Nevertheless, so great was his hunger, and the perplexity 
of his situation, that he again groaned aloud, and very grievously 
too. Our pretty Marygold could endure it no longer. She sat, 
a moment, gazing at her father, and trying, with all the might 
of her little wits, to find out what was the matter with him. Then, 
with a sweet and sorrowful impulse to comfort him, she started 
from her chair, and running to Midas, threw her arms affec- 
tionately about his knees. He bent down and kissed her. He 



THE GOLDEN TOUCH 339 

felt that his little daughter's love was worth a thousand times 
more than he had gained by the Golden Touch. 

" My precious, precious Marygold ! " cried he. 

But Marygold made no answer. 

28. Alas, what had he done? How fatal was the gift which 
the stranger bestowed ! The moment the lips of Midas touched 
Marygold's forehead, a change had taken place. Her sweet, rosy 
face, so full of affection as it had been, assumed a glittering yel- 
low colour, with yellow tear-drops congealing on her cheeks. 
Her beautiful brown ringlets took the same tint. Her soft and 
tender little form grew hard and inflexible within her father's 
encircling arms. O, terrible misfortune ! The victim of his in- 
satiable desire for wealth, little Marygold was a human child no 
longer, but a golden statue ! 

29. Yes, there she was, with the questioning look of love, grief, 
and pity, hardened into her face. It was the prettiest and most 
woful sight that ever mortal saw. All the features and tokens 
of Marygold were there ; even the beloved little dimple remained 
in her golden chin. But, the more perfect was the resemblance, 
the greater was the father's agony at beholding this golden 
image, which was all that was left him of a daughter. It had 
been a favourite phrase of Midas, whenever he felt particularly 
fond of the child, to say that she was worth her weight in gold. 
And now the phrase had become literally true. And now, at 
last, when it was too' late, he felt how infinitely a warm and 
tender heart, that loved him, exceeded in value all the wealth 
that could be piled up betwixt the earth and sky ! 

30. It would be too sad a story, if I were to tell you how Mi- 
das, in the fullness of all his gratified desires, began to wring his 
hands and bemoan himself; and how he could neither bear to 
look at Marygold, nor yet to look away from her. Except when 
his eyes were fixed on the image, he could not possibly believe 
that she was changed to gold. But, stealing another glance, 
there was the precious little figure, with a yellow tear-drop on 
its yellow cheek, and a look so piteous and tender, that it seemed 
as if that very expression must needs soften the gold, and make 
it flesh again. This, however, could not be. So Midas had only 



340 THE GOLDEN TOUCH 

to wring his hands, and to wish that he were the poorest man in 
the wide world, if the loss of all his wealth might bring back the 
faintest rose-colour to his dear child's face. 

31. While he was in this tumult of despair, he suddenly beheld 
a stranger, standing near the door. Midas bent down his head, 
without speaking; for he recognized the same figure which had 
appeared to him the day before in the treasure-room, and had 
bestowed on him this disastrous faculty of the Golden Touch. 
The stranger's countenance still wore a smile, which seemed to 
shed a yellow lustre all about the room, and gleamed on little 
Marygold's image, and on the other objects that had been trans- 
muted by the touch of Midas. 

" Well, friend Midas," said the stranger, " pray how do you 
succeed with the Golden Touch ? " 

Midas shook his head. 

" I am very miserable," said he. 

" Very miserable, indeed ! " exclaimed the stranger. " And 
how happens that ? Have I not faithfully kept my promise with 
you ? Have you not everything that your heart desired ? " 

" Gold is not everything," answered Midas. " And I have lost 
all that my heart really cared for." 

32. " Ah ! So you have made a discovery, since yesterday ?" 
observed the stranger. " Let us see, then. Which of these two 
things do you think is really worth the most — the gift of the 
Golden Touch, or one cup of clear cold water ? " 

" O, blessed water ! " exclaimed Midas. " It will never 
moisten my parched throat again ! " 

"The Golden Touch/' continued the stranger, " or a crust of 
bread ? " 

"A piece of bread," answered Midas, "is worth all the gold 
on earth ! " 

" The Golden Touch," asked the stranger, " or your own little 
Marygold, warm, soft, and loving, as she was an hour ago ? " 

" O my child, my dear child ! " cried poor Midas, wringing his 
hands. " I would not have given that one small dimple in her 
chin for the power of changing this whole big earth into a solid 
lump of gold ! " 



THE GOLDEN TOUCH 34 1 

33. " You are wiser than you were, King Midas ! " said the 
stranger, looking seriously at him. " Your own heart, I per- 
ceive, has not been entirely changed from flesh to gold. Were it 
so, your case would indeed be desperate. But you appear to be 
still capable of understanding that the commonest things, such 
as lie within everybody's grasp, are more valuable than the riches 
which so many mortals sigh and struggle after. Tell me, now, 
do you sincerely desire to rid yourself of this Golden Touch ? " 

" It is hateful to me ! " replied Midas. 

A fly settled on his nose, but immediately fell to the floor ; for 
it, too, had become gold. Midas shuddered. 

" Go, then," said the stranger, " and plunge into the river 
that glides past the bottom of your garden. Take likewise a vase 
of the same water, and sprinkle it over any object that you may 
desire to change back again from gold into its former substance. 
If you do this in earnestness and sincerity, it may possibly re- 
pair the mischief which your avarice has occasioned." 

King Midas bowed low; and when he lifted his head, the lus- 
trous stranger had vanished. 

34. You will easily believe that Midas lost no time in snatch- 
ing up a great earthen pitcher (but, alas me ! it was no longer 
earthen after he touched it), and hastening to the river-side. As 
he scampered along, and forced his way through the shrubbery, 
it was positively marvellous to see how the foliage turned yel- 
low behind him, as if the autumn had been there, and nowhere 
else. On reaching the river's brink, he plunged headlong in, 
without waiting so much as to pull off his shoes. 

" Poof ! poof ! poof ! " snorted King Midas, as his head emerged 
out of the water. " Well ; this is really a refreshing bath, and I 
think it must have quite washed away the Golden Touch. And 
now for filling my pitcher ! " 

35. As he dipped the pitcher into the water, it gladdened his 
very heart to see it change from gold into the same good, honest 
earthen vessel which it had been before he touched it. He was 
conscious, also, of a change within himself. A cold, hard, and 
heavy weight seemed to have gone out of his bosom. No doubt, 
his heart had been gradually losing its human substance, and 



34^ THE GOLDEN TOUCH 

transmuting itself into insensible metal, but had now softened 
back again into flesh. Perceiving a violet, that grew on the 
bank of the river, Midas touched it with his finger, and was over- 
joyed to find that the delicate flower retained its purple hue, in- 
stead of undergoing a yellow blight. The curse of the Golden 
Touch had, therefore, really been removed from him. 

36. King Midas hastened back to the palace: and, I suppose, 
the servants knew not what to make of it when they saw their 
royal master so carefully bringing home an earthen pitcher of 
water. But that water, which was to undo all the mischief that 
his folly had wrought, was more precious to Midas than an 
ocean of molten gold could have been. The first thing he did, 
as you need hardly be told, was to sprinkle it by handfuls over 
the golden figure of little Marygold. 

No sooner did it fall on her than you would have laughed to see 
how the rosy colour came back to the dear child's cheek ! — and 
how she began to sneeze and sputter ! — and how astonished she 
was to find herself dripping wet, and her father still throwing 
more water over her ! 

" Pray do not, dear father ! " cried she. " See how you have 
wet my nice frock, which I put on only this morning ! " 

For Marygold did not know that she had been a little golden 
statue ; nor could she remember anything that had happened since 
the moment when she ran, with outstretched arms, to comfort 
poor King Midas. 

37. Her father did not think it necessary to tell his beloved 
child how very foolish he had been, but contented himself with 
showing how much wiser he had now grown. For this purpose, 
he led little Marygold into the garden, where he sprinkled all the 
remainder of the water over the rose-bushes, and with such good 
effect that above five thousand roses recovered their beautiful 
bloom. There were two circumstances, however, which, as long 
as he lived, used to put King Midas in mind of the Golden Touch. 
One was, that the sands of the river sparkled like gold; the 
other, that little Marygold's hair had now a golden tinge, which 
he had never observed in it before she had been transmuted by 
the effect of his kiss. This change of hue was really an im- 



THE GOLDEN TOUCH 343 

provement, and made MarygokTs hair richer than in her baby- 
hood. 

38. When King Midas had grown quite an old man, and used 
to trot Marygold's children on his knee, he was fond of telling 
them this marvellous story, pretty much as I have now told it to 
you. And then would he stroke their glossy ringlets, and tell 
them that their hair, likewise, had a rich shade of gold, which 
they had inherited from their mother. 

*' And, to tell you the truth, my precious little folks/' quoth King 
Midas, diligently trotting the children all the while, " ever since 
that morning, I have hated the very sight of all other gold, 
save this ! " 

THE GOLDEN TOUCH 

Class Discussion 

This is one of the old Greek myths that Hawthorne tells 
for the benefit of children, but while the wording is adapted 
to their understanding, older people find much pleasure in 
reading the story. Notice how simply the story begins. 
There is none of Irving's detailed description of the scene 
of action. 

Did you ever hear of a miser who played with his gold 
as Midas does? Is there anything mysterious about the 
appearance of the stranger? How did he get into the 
room ? Does he seem to think that Midas would enjoy hav- 
ing the Golden Touch ? 

According to the account given here, did Midas live very 
much as people do to-day ? Were ancient books like ours ? 
Do you suppose the ancients really had coffee, potatoes, and 
hot cakes for breakfast, or do you think Hawthorne makes 
these statements in order to secure the interest of modern 
readers ? 

Tell how Midas is finally made to realize that there are 
things in the world better than gold. 



344 THE GOLDEN TOUCH 

How does he undo the work of the Golden Touch? 
Is this simply a beautiful story, or is there a lesson in it 
for us? 



VII 
THE SENTENCE 

In addition to being grammatically correct, the sentence 
should possess the qualities of Unity, Coherence, and Force. 

Unity. Unity has reference to the thoughts expressed by 
the sentence. Each sentence should be a well constructed 
unit, built around one central idea. The errors in unity may 
be summed up under two heads — putting in too much and 
not putting in enough. 

Putting in Too Much. Two ideas which have no con- 
nection with each other should not be put into the same 
sentence. 

The train from Boston was delayed three hours on 

account of a broken rail, and many of the passengers 

were Germans. 

There is no connection between the delay of the train and 

the nationality of its passengers, and therefore, each thought 

should be placed in a separate sentence. 

Unity is also violated by putting too many ideas into a 
single sentence, even though the ideas bear some relation to 
the main thought. The writer often has no definite con- 
ception as to what constitutes a sentence but merely puts 
down the thoughts as they come into his head, one thought 
suggesting another ; and the result is a long, straggling sen- 
tence, built upon no plan whatever and incapable of making 
a definite, clear-cut impression upon the reader. Such sen- 
tences should be reconstructed according to some well de- 

345 



346 THE SENTENCE 

fined plan, or else the material in them should be divided into 
the proper number of sentences. 

I was disappointed in my first visit to Chicago, for 

the city was so large as to bewilder me because I am a 

country boy and have not seen many cities, and the air 

was so smoky and foggy that it gave me a headache, 

and about that time my money gave out and I had to 

come home before I had finished seeing the sights. 

This sentence is a flagrant violation of unity because the 

various statements, though all connected with the writer's 

visit to Chicago, are not grouped around one central thought. 

When, however, the parts of the sentence are re-arranged 

in accord with some definite plan, the sentence becomes at 

once a unit. 

I was disappointed in my first visit to Chicago for 
three reasons — the size of the city was such as to be- 
wilder an untravelled country boy, the smoke and fog 
gave me a headache, and lack of funds forced me to re- 
turn before I had finished seeing the sights. 
In the following sentence unity is secured by placing in 
one sentence all that relates to Ulysses, and in another all 
that relates to Penelope. 

Ulysses left Troy and wandered over the seas for a 
number of years but at last came to Ithaca, where he 
found his wife Penelope, who was beset with many 
suitors, but she did not love any of them and had not 
married. 

After leaving Troy and wandering over the seas for a 
number of years, Ulysses at last came to Ithaca. Here 
he found his wife, Penelope, who, beset with many suit- 
ors but loving none of them, had not married. 
Putting in Too Little. It is also a violation of unity to 
divide into two sentences what should be put into one. Two 
or more related thoughts should be combined into one uni- 



THE SENTENCE 347 

fied sentence and not separated into distinct sentences. 
The speaker advanced to the front of the platform. 
A multitude of shouts arose. Some of the shouts were 
hostile and some were friendly. 

A multitude of shouts, some hostile and some friendly, 
arose as the speaker advanced to the front of the plat- 
form. 
Exercise. Correct the lack of unity in the following 
sentences. Two of the sentences need no correction. 

i. The judge was a man who knew the law and adminis- 
tered it justly, and he had been to Europe three times. 

2. I resolved to lash myself securely to the water cask 
which was near me, to cut it loose from the deck, and to 
throw myself with it into the water. 

3. Prince Prospero then decided to act. He was mad- 
dened with rage and shame. He rushed hurriedly through 
the six chambers. None of his friends dared to follow him. 
Terror had seized them all. They stood still. 

4. When I entered college I had only a small bank ac- 
count, and I was much pleased with all my professors. 

5. By means of a skiff we crossed the creek at the head 
of the island, and, ascending the high ground on the shore 
of the mainland, proceeded in a northwesterly direction. 

6. I received the package of handkerchiefs which you sent 
me yesterday, and I am entirely satisfied with them, but you 
sent me two more than I ordered, but as I really need them 
I shall keep them, and am, therefore, enclosing the proper 
amount in this letter. 

7. At this moment his host left the room. Villon leaped 
from the chair. He had just taken his seat in the chair a 
moment before. He began to examine the room. A cat 
could not have examined the room more carefully. 

8. The vessel made for the shore, and when the boats 
were lowered, all crowded into them and reached the beach 



348 THE SENTENCE 

in safety, where the natives received them with the greatest 
kindness, and shelter and food were provided for them until 
the arrival of the steamer. 

9. Last summer I spent a great deal of time with my 
grandmother, who is an old lady who lives in the country, 
and near her home was an orchard, in which I liked to play 
and to gather the apples which had fallen from the trees. 

10. There was only one girl on the porch. She was light 
haired and had blue eyes. She was reading a magazine. 
She was reading very intently. 

11. The land in our county is well adapted for the cultiva- 
tion of corn and a great deal of it is planted every year, but 
some farmers prefer to raise hay, which they feed to their 
cattle and sell to dealers in foodstuffs. 

12. The room was brightly lighted. It contained little 
furniture except a heavy table and a chair or two. The 
hearth had no fire on it. The pavement was old and had 
only a few rushes on it. These were clearly many days old. 

13. The gold bug was a beetle which Legrand found on the 
shore and wrapped up in a piece of parchment, which was 
a memorandum of Kidd's telling where he had buried some 
treasure which he, when a pirate, had captured from the 
Spaniards who were coming back to Spain from the Indies. 

14. The room was small and low. It belonged to the old 
part of the house. The books that lined the wall made it 
look dark. This morning, however, it looked bright and 
cheery. 

15. I received your letter and in reply will say that the 
house is still for rent but that there are several persons who 
would make good tenants who are anxious to rent it, and I 
should, therefore, be glad if you would tell me at once 
whether you wish to rent the house, in order that I may 
know what answer to give these persons. 

Coherence. Coherence has reference to the relation of 



THE SENTENCE 349 

the parts of a sentence to each other ; they should cohere, or 
" stick together/' in such a manner that the relation of the 
parts to each other will be at once evident. 

Pronouns, i. We have already learned that a pronoun 
should agree with its antecedent in gender, person, and 
number. If we use a plural pronoun referring to a singu- 
lar noun, the relation between the two is neither exact 
nor correct. Mistakes of this sort occur most frequently 
with such words as one, every one, no one, nobody, each, 
any, etc., all of which are singular and should, therefore, 
be referred to by singular pronouns. See pages 80-84. 

Wrong : If any one wants to go, let them leave at once. 
Right: If any one wants to go, let him leave at once. 
Wrong: Not a boy in the school brought their text- 
books to class. 
Right : Not a boy in the school brought his textbook 
to class. 
2. The relation between a pronoun and its antecedent 
should be immediately evident; there should never be any 
doubt in the mind of the reader as to the objects or persons 
to which the pronouns refer. 

He told his friend that if he did not feel better in 
half an hour, he thought that he had better return. 
The reader is confused by the various he's and cannot tell 
whether they refer to the speaker or to his friend. The 
sentence may be corrected by changing it into direct dis- 
course. 

He said to his friend, " If I do not feel better in 
half an hour, I think that I had better return." 



Or, 



He said to his friend, " If you do not feel better 
in half an hour, I think that you had better re- 
turn." 
The pronoun it is especially likely to be used in an 



35° THE SENTENCE 

obscure construction ; it should never be used unless its ante- 
cedent is clear and unmistakable. 

At the back of the store was a large stove and near 
it was placed a barrel of cider to keep it warm. 
In this sentence the reader cannot at the first glance 
tell whether the second it refers to the stove or to the barrel 
of cider. 

4. Pronouns should not be made to refer to words which 
are not in the sentence. In the sentence " I like to go 
fishing, even though I do not catch many of them," them 
has no antecedent but refers to the word fish, which is 
suggested by the word fishing. It may be corrected by 
giving them an antecedent. 

I like to try to catch fish, even though I do not get 
many of them. 
Or the antecedent may be substituted for the pronoun. 

I like to go fishing, even though I do not catch many 

fish. 

Exercise. Rewrite the following sentences, giving to each 

pronoun a definite antecedent and correcting any lack of 

agreement between the pronoun and its antecedent. One of 

the sentences is correct. 

1. He took Roy out to see the view and he came back 
and told him that he owed him thanks for his trip. 

2. The faculty by virtue of its position knows thoroughly 
the needs of the students under them. 

3. Each family made for itself a log hut, cutting them 
in the surrounding forest and placing them in two rows 
for safety, as the Indians might attack them and they 
wished to be together. 

4. The cavalry had been organized only a few weeks, but 
it is as well equipped as if they were a part of the regular 
army. 

5. Cicero made a vigorous attack upon Catiline, to which 



THE SENTENCE 35 1 

he replied that he had done him an injury to attack him 
so publicly. 

6. The United States is not bound to a treaty which has 
been drawn up without their authority. 

7. He told his brother that his life was in danger. 

8. A modifier should always be placed close to the words 
that they modify ; if placed elsewhere, their relation to such 
words is not clear. 

9. It was evident that she had been poisoned, but nobody 
knew where it had been bought; even if they had known, 
they could not have convicted the druggist. 

10. He is one of the best boys that have ever come to 
this school. 

11. When you call a bell-boy or a porter, they come at once. 

12. If every one does their duty, there .will be no need 
of fines. 

13. He is one of those men that wins immediate popularity 
because he flatters all whom he meets. 

14. If you are not financially able to go to college, borrow 
it. 

15. Mr. Jenkins rode over to his neighbor's plantation to 
tell him that his cows were in his field. 

16. He borrowed the farmer's horse at whose house he 
stopped. 

17. The average pupil of to-day does not know many In- 
dian names, nor even the sections of the United States in 
which they live. 

18. The Governor of New York, wishing to suppress piracy 
in American waters, commissioned Kidd to make war on 
them. 

19. What would you do if either of the men should de- 
mand a salary for their work? 

20. The subject of a verb must be a noun or pronoun 
and it must be singular to agree with it. 



35 2 THE SENTENCE 

21. The herd of excited steers bore down upon us; it 
was moving rapidly and they were bellowing as they ran. 

22. Arthur found his brother very sick, but he did not 
have as much fever as he had expected. 

23. Sir Launfal gave the beggar a penny as he passed. 

24. He was found very ill in a hospital in Baltimore, from 
which he never recovered. 

25. He had an excellent opportunity to kill Claudius while 
he was praying, but he did not do so because he feared 
that he might go to heaven. 

Participles. Obscurity often results from a failure to 
make plain the relation between a participle and the noun 
which it modifies. When a participle is placed at the be- 
ginning of a sentence and the noun which it modifies is not 
the subject of the sentence, this noun should always be ex- 
pressed, otherwise the participle will be wrongly regarded 
as referring to the subject of the sentence. 

Walking down the street, my eye was attracted by a 
sign. 
The participle walking does not modify eye, but the 
speaker, and the sentence should, therefore, read, 

As I was walking down the street, my eye was at- 
tracted by a sign. 

Walking down the street, I was attracted by a sign. 

Exercise. Rewrite the following sentences so that there 

will be no confusion between the subject of the sentence 

and the noun which the participle modifies. Two of the 

sentences are correct. 

1. While looking out of the window of the club, the 
automobile rushed by. 

2. Being exceedingly fond of birds, a flock of them is 
always to be found on his lawn. 

3. It is like finding money walking down the middle of 
the road. 



THE SENTENCE 353 

4. Having finished sowing oats in the ten acre field, the 
farmer unhitched his horses and turned his steps toward 
home. 

5. Discussing the subject of the tariff with a friend, he 
told me that I should read the speech of Senator Williams. 

6. As he unlocked the front door he heard voices in the 
cellar, and upon going down some one ran up. 

7. Freeing himself with a great effort, the blow was 
warded off and he escaped unhurt. 

8. After sleeping thus for three hours, his dog woke 
him by pulling at his coat. 

9. Dazzling the senators by his brilliance and convincing 
them by his logic, Senator Carmack urged the defeat of the 
bill. 

10. Gnawing away at the corner of the room, we saw a 
large gray rat. 

11. Passing through the forest, a wonderful sight met our 
eyes. 

12. Seeing in the crowd no one that he knew, his sense of 
loneliness increased. 

13. His hand became caught in the machinery while work- 
ing at the cotton mill, and he was badly hurt. 

14. Infatuated with the actress and determined to marry 
her, it was with difficulty that Major and Mrs. Pendennis 
persuaded Arthur to relinquish his attachment. 

15. Determined to prevent the two armies from meeting, 
the bridge was burned by his orders. 

Omissions. Obscurity often results from the omission 
of a word that is necessary to the construction of the sen- 
tence. In the sentence, 

I like her as well as you, 
it is not clear whether the speaker means, " I like her as 
well as I like you," or " I like her as well as you like her." 
Again, in the sentence, 



354 THE SENTENCE 

I can see no difference between the students of my 
college and your college, 
what the speaker means to say is, 

I can see no difference between the students of my 
college and those of your college. 
No part of the verb should be omitted unless it can be 
easily supplied from the context. 

Right : Henry is a Democrat, Edward a Republican. 

Wrong: His face was pale, his eyes dull and lifeless. 

In the first sentence the verb can be easily supplied from 

the context, but in the second sentence the verb required 

in the last clause is not the same as the verb used in the first 

clause. 

Exercise. Correct the following sentences by adding 
•such words as may be necessary to the construction of the 
sentence. Two of the sentences need no correction. 

1. I never have and I hope I never shall see him. 

2. He is more cultured and in every way superior to his 
opponent. 1 

3. He looks more like his father than his brother. 

4. Richard is a better writer but not so good a speaker as 
his cousin. 

5. Their conduct was more like a wild Indian's than civi- 
lized people. 

6. The action does not meet with my approval and others 
in the assembly. 

7. The well-trained forester must know the forest shrubs 
and something of the insect and animal life of the woods. 

1 The form " He is more cultured than and in every way superior 
to his opponent," though correct, is not desirable. The young writer 
is often fond of this construction because it has about it an air of 
exactness and accuracy, but it is stiff and awkward and should, 
therefore, be avoided. A better form is, " He is more cultured than 
his opponent and in every way superior to him." 



THE SENTENCE 355 

8. He never has and probably never will accept my invi- 
tation to call. 

9. The critic made changes and additions to the manu- 
script. 

10. The editor calls attention to the fact that Poe drank 
and ate opium. 

11. He flatters your friend more than you. 

12. Geneva's real estate valuations are greater than any 
other town in the country. 

13. He treated me better than you. 

14. I came to this school because the tuition here is cheaper 
than any other school in the state. 

15. He is taller and more strongly built than his oppo- 
nent. 

16. His mouth was trembling, his eyes flashing. 

17. My life has been less eventful, perhaps, than most 
of the members of this class. 

18. We hope that we can find a successor to him who will 
carry out his work in the manner in which he has. 

19. A warehouse was bought and the boxes stored away 
in it. 

20. I wonder if he will ever do as much for me as I have 
for him. 

Modifiers. A modifier, whether it be a word, a phrase, 
or a clause, should be placed as close as possible to the word 
or words which it modifies. The natural tendency of the 
reader is to connect in thought, words which are connected 
in space. Note the three meanings corresponding to the 
three positions of the word only in the following sentences : 

He would only lend me two dollars. 

He would lend me only two dollars. 

He would lend only me two dollars. 
In such advertisements as, " For Rent — Furnished rooms 



356 THE SENTENCE 

for light housekeeping by the City Real Estate Company," 
the effect of a careless arrangement of phrases is at once 
evident. 

The same rule should also be applied to clauses ; they 
should be placed as close as possible to the words with which 
they are grammatically related. In the sentence, 

The fisherman put the can into his pocket, which 
was full of worms, 
it is clear that the clause which was full of worms refers to 
can; it should, therefore, be placed next to can, otherwise 
it will appear that the pocket and not the can was full of 
worms. 

Sometimes a modifier is so placed that it is impossible to 
tell whether it modifies the word which precedes it or the 
word which follows it. In the sentence, 

Washington, the son of a country gentleman, like 
Jefferson, was a man of high principles, 
the reader cannot tell whether the phrase like Jefferson is 
intended to modify the son of a country gentleman or a man 
of high principles. The phrase should be so placed that 
it can modify only one word or group of words. 

Washington, the son of a country gentleman, was, like 
Jefferson, a man of high principles. 
Exercise. Rearrange the following sentences so that 
each modifier will come next to the word that it modifies. 
Two of the sentences need no rearrangement. 

1. We were only allowed ten minutes in which to make 
the change. 

2. The cavalry of his command was only organized a few 
weeks ago. 

3. A bull dog was lying at the feet of the boy with a 
torn ear. 

4. I will neither give it to you nor to your mother. 

5. I scarcely ever remember seeing a more awful sight. 



THE SENTENCE 357 

6. On the campus cows are seen, eating the grass and here 
and there a professor. 

7. He answered all the questions that were put to him 
quite readily. 

8. Since he saw nothing except a partridge and a rabbit, he 
only brought home two pieces of game. 

9. I saw only four ships in the harbor. 

10. I received the package of handkerchiefs that you sent 
me from Europe yesterday. 

11. Farm life offers more pleasure and profit than any other 
vocation to the average man. 

12. At Omaha an elderly gentleman came into the sleeping- 
car whose face was strangely familiar. 

13. This election does not merely concern the politicians 
but all the voters as well. 

14. He performed every task that was assigned to him 
diligently and carefully. 

15. For fifty miles the river could only be distinguished 
from the ocean by the calmness and the discolored water. 

16. Mary and I sat in silence, the house quaking over- 
head, the tempest howling without, the fire between us sput- 
tering with rain drops. 

17. The young fellow turned away and went walking down 
the street with a smile. 

18. But such a desirable state of affairs is only brought 
about by long and conscientious training. 

19. He knew, as even a boy younger than he would have 
known, that he was only admitted on certain conditions. 

20. Napoleon was not only the conqueror of Prussia but 
also of Italy. 

Force. In addition to possessing unity and coherence, 
the sentence should have force. It should convey its mean- 
ing to the reader's mind in a direct, straight-forward man- 
ner. The influence of a proper choice of words upon the 



35 8 THE SENTENCE 

force of the sentence has been discussed on page 325. 
Change of Subject. A needless change in the subject of 
the sentence lessens its force. Instead of making a direct, 
unified impression upon the reader, such a sentence tends 
to confuse him. 

The gardener has cut the grass, and the appearance of 
the lawn has thus been greatly improved. 

The gardener has cut the grass and thus greatly im- 
proved the appearance of the lawn. 
The difference in the impressions made by the two sentences 
just given is the difference in the impression made by a 
given force moving in a crooked line and by that same force 
moving in a straight line. In like manner, the active voice 
is more forceful than the passive and is, therefore, usually 
to be preferred. 

Exercise. Make the following sentences more forceful 
by correcting the needless change of subject: 

1. He gave me a picture which was drawn by himself. 

2. The captain drew his sword and the command to ad- 
vance was given by him. 

3. As a result of the heavy rains the river rose rapidly, 
and the bridge was soon washed away. 

4. Again I placed the mixture in the pan and it was al- 
lowed to remain there for several minutes. 

5. As I looked out of the window a pleasant sight met 
my gaze. 

6. He had an ugly face and people were always frightened 
when he looked at them. 

7. We went fishing in the Moose River and many trout 
and catfish were caught by us. 

8. When I first saw her the pallor of her face frightened 
me. 

9. The engineer put on the brakes and the child's life was 
saved. 



THE SENTENCE 359 

10. The company increased the wages of their employees 
and they were thus enabled to live more comfortably. 

Parallel Construction. Putting into parallel construction 
ideas that are parallel in meaning and function, unifies the 
impression of the sentence and thus adds to its force. In 
the sentence, " To give is more blessed than receiving, ,, the 
change from one form of the infinitive to the other is con- 
fusing; since the two words are parallel in meaning and 
function, the mind naturally expects to find them parallel 
in construction. 

Exercise. Recast the following sentences in parallel con- 
structions : 

1. We live in deeds and not by what we say. 

2. The sultan commanded his general to free half the 
prisoners and that he should bring the other half to the 
palace. 

3. Saving money when we are young is better than to 
starve when we are old. 

4. He believed in making the boys follow the rules 
strictly but that the girls should be allowed to do as they 
pleased. 

5. When Harold heard the shouts of the Normans ana 
having seen that the palisade was broken, he knew that the 
battle was lost. 

6. The management of the company should be given to a 
man whose worth has been proved and his character should 
be above reproach. 

7. Having missed his foothold and as he failed to grasp 
the rope which the guide threw him, the traveller fell to 
the bottom of the ravine. 

8. His answer was respectful and promptly given. 

9. All members are urged to do three things: first, pay 
their dues promptly; second, buy a badge; third, they are 
expected to attend all meetings, 



360 THE SENTENCE 

10, He was a servant who could be depended upon and 
was always efficient and honest. 

Tautology. Another hindrance to the force of a sen- 
tence consists in using more words than are necessary to 
express the thought of the sentence. A sentence can no 
more carry needless weight than can a runner upon the 
track. If a word is not needed in the sentence, it gets in 
the way and retards the movement of thought. In the 
sentence, " Many of the spectators who were present ap- 
plauded his speech loudly/' the clause who were present is 
entirely unnecessary, since as spectators they must have 
been present. The force of the sentence would thus be 
increased by omitting the clause. 

Exercise. Rewrite the following sentences omitting all 
superfluous words: 

1. My visitor was a man going by the name of Sample. 

2. My father bought me a book and presented it to me. 

3. They met us riding out in the park. 

4. Hence you will see therefore that he must necessarily 
be in error. 

5. Finally, in conclusion, allow me to call your attention 
to the most important point of my speech. 

6. Her companions who accompanied her were a man of 
fifty years of age and a girl who was tall. 

7. She was a frail young woman, having been an invalid 
nearly all of her entire life. 

8. In the interview which she had with me, she spoke 
hardly a word during the conversation which we had while 
she was in my office. 

9. My best friend, whom I know very well, is a bright, 
witty, intelligent fellow, but he does not know how to get 
along in the world so that he will succeed. 

10. As one of the contestants who was running in the 



THE SENTENCE 3 61 

race stumbled and fell upon the ground, a shout went up 
from the spectators who were watching the race. 

End of Sentence. The end is the most important part 
of the sentence and should, therefore, be reserved for the 
thought which the writer wishes to emphasize most. When 
a sentence is allowed to end with an unimportant word or 
phrase, its force is likely to be distinctly weakened. Such 
words and clauses as perhaps, it is said, I suppose, etc., 
should not, therefore, be placed at the end of the sentence ; 
it is usually better to insert them in the middle of the sen- 
tence rather than at either the beginning or the end. Note 
the difference in force between the sentences in the follow- 
ing groups : 

Brutus died by his own hand, it is said. 
Brutus, it is said, died by his own hand. 
I left the home of my childhood, waving my hand 
cheerfully to my mother. 

Waving my hand cheerfully to my mother, I left the 
home of my childhood. 
If there be a series of ideas in the sentences, they should 
be arranged in the order of increasing importance. By such 
an arrangement, which is called the order of climax, the 
sentence makes a decided gain in force. Note the greater 
effectiveness of the second of the following two sentences 
as compared with the first : 

At his sudden appearance, the two spectators who 
were nearest him fainted, others screamed aloud, several 
rose hastily to their feet, and there was an evident stir 
of excitement in the crowd. 

At his sudden appearance there was an evident stir 
of excitement in the crowd, several spectators rose 
hastily to their feet, others screamed aloud, and the 
two that were nearest to him fainted. 



362 THE SENTENCE 

Exercise. Improve these sentences by giving to each a 
strong ending. When possible, arrange the ideas in the 
order of climax. 

1. I can find him at home usually. 

2. Our new boarders like the fare to all appearances. 

3. I am yours, soul, body, and mind. 

4. Tennyson was an ardent admirer of the sea always. 

5. I then felt at a loss as to what should be next done. 

6. The first year of my life was spent in sleep practically. 

7. If you will apply at once, you can get the position, per- 
haps. 

8. The card which the maid handed me contained the 
name of my caller merely. 

9. Middlemarch is one of the best of George Eliot's nov- 
els, though it is not read often. 

10. The automobile was unable to climb the hill, being 
too heavily loaded. 

11. The reason why he left college was that he lacked funds, 
I suppose. 

12. If I do not do it now, I shall probably never do it, 
having so much other work to do. 

13. Of all the men that I have ever met, you are the grand- 
est rascal without doubt. 

14. In his essay on Cromwell the author describes the 
Protector's personal appearance, his character, his courage, 
and his ability as a general. 

15. The knights thought that if Arthur had been present 
when the Grail appeared, he would have gone on the Quest 
also. 



VIII 
FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND x 

i. " Dickon," cried Mother Rigby, " a coal for my pipe ! " 

The pipe was in the old dame's mouth when she said these 
words. She had thrust it there after filling it with tobacco, but 
without stooping to light it at the hearth, where indeed there was 
no appearance of a fire having been kindled that morning. 
Forthwith, however, as soon as the order was given, there was 
an intense red glow out of the bowl of the pipe, and a whiff of 
smoke from Mother Rigby's lips. Whence the coal came, and 
how brought thither by an invisible hand, I have never been able 
to discover. 

" Good ! " quoth Mother Rigby, with a nod of her head,. 
" Thank ye, Dickon ! And now for making this scarecrow. Be 
within call, Dickon, in case I need you again." 

2. The good woman had risen thus early (for as yet it was 
scarcely sunrise) in order to set about making a scarecrow, 
which she intended to put in the middle of the corn-patch. It 
was now the latter week of May, and the crows and blackbirds 
had already discovered the little, green, rolled-up leaf of the 

[Printed by permission of the authorized publishers, Houghton, 
Mifflin and Company.] 

1 This story is one of the Mosses from an Old Manse, a collection 
of tales which was published in 1846. As the title implies, this story, 
like The Golden Touch, contains a moral. The source of the tale is 
probably the following entry in Hawthorne's Note Book : 

"To make a story out of a scarecrow, giving it odd at- 
tributes. From different points of view it should appear to 
change — now an old man, now an old woman — a gunner, 
a farmer, or the Old Nick." 
It is interesting to note how the author changed his original design. 

363 



364 FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 

Indian corn just peeping out of the soil. She was determined, 
therefore, to contrive as lifelike a scarecrow as ever was seen, 
and to finish it immediately, from top to toe, so that it should 
begin its sentinel's duty that very morning. Now Mother Rigby 
(as everybody must have heard) was one of the most cunning 
and potent witches in New England, and might, with very little 
trouble, have made a scarecrow ugly enough to frighten the min- 
ister himself. But on this occasion, as she had awakened in 
an uncommonly pleasant humor, and was further dulcified 2 by 
her pipe of tobacco, she resolved to produce something fine, beau- 
tiful, and splendid, rather than hideous and horrible. 

" I don't want to set up a hobgoblin in my own corn-patch, and 
almost at my own doorstep/' said Mother Rigby to herself, puff- 
ing out a whiff of smoke ; " I could do it if I pleased, but I'm 
tired of doing marvellous things, and so I'll keep within the 
bounds of every-day business just for variety's sake. Besides, 
there is no use in scaring the little children for a mile round- 
about, though 't is true I'm a witch." 

It was settled, therefore, in her own mind, that the scarecrow 
should represent a fine gentleman of the period, so far as the 
materials at hand would allow. Perhaps it may be as well to 
enumerate the chief of the articles that went to the composition 
of this figure. 

3. The most important item of all, probably, although it made 
so little show, was a certain broomstick, on which Mother 
Rigby had taken many an airy gallop at midnight, and which 
now served the scarecrow by way of a spinal column, or, as the 
unlearned phrase it, a backbone. One of its arms was a disabled 
flail which used to be wielded by Goodman Rigby, before his 
spouse worried him out of this troublesome world; the other, if 
I mistake not, was composed of the pudding stick and a broken 
rung of a chair, tied loosely together at the elbow. As for its 
legs, the right was a hoe handle, and the left an undistinguished 
and miscellaneous stick from the woodpile. Its lungs, stomach, 
and other affairs of that kind were nothing better than a meal 
bag stuffed with straw. Thus we have made out the skeleton 

2 Dulcified: Put in a good humor. 



FEATHERTOP : A MORALIZED LEGEND 365 

and entire corporosity of the scarecrow with the exception of 
its head; and this was admirably supplied by a somewhat 
withered and shrivelled pumpkin, in which Mother Rigby cut 
two holes for the eyes, and a slit for a mouth, leaving a bluish- 
colored knob in the middle to pass for a nose. It was really quite 
a respectable face. 

" I've seen worse ones on human shoulders, at any rate," said 
Mother Rigby. " And many a fine gentleman has a pumpkin 
head, as well as my scarecrow." 

4. But the clothes, in this case, were to be the making of the 
man. So the good old woman took down from a peg an ancient 
plum-colored coat of London make, and with relics of embroidery 
on its seams, cuffs, pocket-flaps, and button-holes, but lamentably 
worn and faded, patched at the elbows, tattered at the skirts, 
and threadbare all over. On the left breast was a round hole, 
whence either a star of nobility had been rent away, or else the 
hot heart of some former wearer had scorched it through and 
through. The neighbors said that this rich garment belonged to 
the Black Man's wardrobe, 3 and that he kept it at Mother Rigby's 
cottage for the convenience of slipping it on whenever he wished 
to make a grand appearance at the governor's table. To match 
the coat there was a velvet waistcoat of very ample size, and 
formerly embroidered with foliage that had been as brightly 
golden as the maple leaves in October, but which had now quite 
vanished out of the substance of the velvet. Next came a pair 
of scarlet breeches, once worn by the French governor of Louis- 
bourg, and the knees of which had touched the lower step of the 
throne of Louis le Grand. 4 The Frenchman had given these 
smallclothes to an Indian powwow, 5 who parted with them to 
the old witch for a gill of strong waters, at one of their dances in 
the forest. Furthermore, Mother Rigby produced a pair of silk 
stockings and put them on the figure's legs, where they showed 

3 Black Man's wardrobe: In witchcraft the devil is often called 
the Black Man. 

4 Louis le Grand: King of France from 1643 to 1715. His court 
was noted for its magnificence. 

5 Powwow: A medicine man or conjurer. 



366 FEATHERTOP : A MORALIZED LEGEND 

as unsubstantial as a dream, with the wooden reality of the two 
sticks making itself miserably apparent through the holes. 
Lastly, she put her dead husband's wig on the bare scalp of the 
pumpkin, and surmounted the whole with a dusty three-cornered 
hat, in which was stuck the longest tail feather of a rooster. 

5. Then the old dame stood the figure up in a corner of her 
cottage and chuckled to behold its yellow semblance of a visage, 
with its nobby little nose thrust into the air. It had a strangely 
self-satisfied aspect and seemed to say, " Come look at me ! " 

" And you are well worth looking at, that's a fact ! " quoth 
Mother Rigby, in admiration at her own handiwork. " I've 
made many a puppet since I've been a witch, but methinks this is 
the finest of them all. 'T is almost too good for a scarecrow. 
And, by the by, I'll just fill a fresh pipe of tobacco and then take 
him out to the corn-patch." 

While filling her pipe the old woman continued to gaze with 
almost motherly affection at the figure in the corner. To say 
the truth, whether it were chance, or skill, or downright witch- 
craft, there was something wonderfully human in this ridiculous 
shape, bedizened with its tattered finery; and as for the coun- 
tenance, it appeared to shrivel its yellow surface into a grin — a 
funny kind of expression betwixt scorn and merriment, as if it 
understood itself to be a jest at mankind. The more Mother 
Rigby looked the better she was pleased. 

" Dickon," cried she sharply, " another coal for my pipe ! " 

6. Hardly had she spoken, than, just as before, there was a 
red-glowing coal on the top of the tobacco. She drew in a 
long whiff and puffed it forth again into the bar of morning 
sunshine which struggled through the one dusty pane of her 
cottage window. Mother Rigby always liked to flavor her pipe 
with a coal of fire from the particular chimney corner whence 
this had been brought. But where that chimney corner might 
be, or who brought the coal from it, — further than that the in- 
visible messenger seemed to respond to the name of Dickon, — I 
cannot tell. 

" That puppet yonder," thought Mother Rigby, still with her 
eyes fixed on the scarecrow, " is too good a piece of work to 



FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 367 

stand all summer in a corn-patch, frightening away the crows 
and blackbirds. He's capable of better things. Why, I've 
danced with a worse one, when partners happened to be scarce, 
at our witch meetings in the forest ! What if I should let him 
take his chance among the other men of straw and empty fellows 
who go bustling about the world ? " 

7. The old witch took three or four more whiffs of her pipe 
and smiled. 

" He'll meet plenty of his brethren at every street corner ! " 
continued she. " Well ; I didn't mean to dabble in witchcraft 
to-day, further than the lighting of my pipe, but a witch I am, 
and a witch I'm likely to be, and there's no use trying to shirk 
it. I'll make a man of my scarecrow, were it only for the joke's 
sake ! " 

While muttering these words, Mother Rigby took the pipe 
from her own mouth and thrust it into the crevice which repre- 
sented the same feature in the pumpkin visage of the scarecrow. 

" Puff, darling, puff ! " said she. " Puff away, my fine fellow ! 
your life depends on it ! " 

8. This was a strange exhortation, undoubtedly, to be ad- 
dressed to a mere thing of sticks, straw, and old clothes, with 
nothing better than a shrivelled pumpkin for a head, — as we 
know to have been the scarecrow's case. Nevertheless, as we 
must carefully hold in remembrance, Mother Rigby was a witch 
of singular power and dexterity; and, keeping this fact duly 
before our minds, we shall see nothing beyond credibility in the 
remarkable incidents of our story. Indeed, the great difficulty 
will be at once got over, if we can only bring ourselves to be- 
lieve that, as soon as the old dame bade him puff, there came a 
whiff of smoke from the scarecrow's mouth. It was the very 
feeblest of whiffs, to be sure; but it was followed by another 
and another, each more decided than the preceding one. 

" Puff away, my pet ! puff away, my pretty one ! " Mother 
Rigby kept repeating, with her pleasantest smile. " It is the 
breath of life to ye ; and that you may take my word for." 

9. Beyond all question the pipe was bewitched. There must 
have been a spell either in the tobacco or in the fiercely-glowing 



368 FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 

coal that so mysteriously burned on top of it, or in the pun- 
gently-aromatic smoke which exhaled from the kindled weed. 
The figure, after a few doubtful attempts, at length blew forth a 
volley of smoke extending all the way from the obscure corner 
into the bar of sunshine. There it eddied and melted away 
among the motes of dust. It seemed a convulsive effort ; for the 
two or three next whiffs were fainter, although the coal still 
glowed and threw a gleam over the scarecrow's visage. The 
old witch clapped her skinny hands together, and smiled encour- 
agingly upon her handiwork. She saw that the charm worked 
well. The shrivelled, yellow face, which heretofore had been no 
face at all, had already a thin, fantastic haze, as it were of hu- 
man likeness, shifting to and fro across it; sometimes vanishing 
entirely, but growing more perceptible than ever with the next 
whiff from the pipe. The whole figure, in like manner, assumed 
a show of life, such as we impart to ill-defined shapes among 
the clouds, and half deceive ourselves with the pastime of our 
own fancy. 

10. If we must needs pry closely into the matter, it may be 
doubted whether there was any real change, 6 after all, in the 
sordid, wornout, worthless, and ill- jointed substance of the 
scarecrow; but merely a spectral illusion, and a cunning effect 
of light and shade so colored and contrived as to delude the eyes 
of most men. The miracles of witchcraft seem always to have 
had a very shallow subtlety ; and, at least, if the above explana- 
tion does not hit the truth of the process, I can suggest no better. 

" Well puffed, my pretty lad ! " still cried old Mother Rigby. 
" Come, another good stout whiff, and let it be with might and 
main. Puff for thy life, I tell thee ! Puff out of the very bot- 
tom of thy heart, if any heart thou hast, or any bottom to it ! 
Well done, again ! Thou didst suck in that mouthful as if for 
the pure love of it." 

ii. And then the witch beckoned to the scarecrow, throwing 

6 It may be doubted whether there was any real change: In many 
of his tales Hawthorne hovers between the real and the unreal, 
describing supernatural happenings and then hinting at a possible ex- 
planation of them. Find other instances of this method in the tale. 



FEATHERTOP : A MORALIZED LEGEND 3 6 9 

so much magnetic potency into her gesture that it seemed as if it 
must inevitably be obeyed, like the mystic call of the loadstone 
when it summons the iron. 

" Why lurkest thou in the corner, lazy one ? " said she. 
" Step forth ! Thou hast the world before thee ! " 

Upon my word, if the legend were not one which I heard on 
my grandmother's knee, and which had established its place 
among things credible before my childish judgment could 
analyze its probability, I question whether I should have the face 
to tell it now. 

12. In obedience to Mother Rigby's word, and extending its 
arm as if to reach her outstretched hand, the figure made a step 
forward — a kind of hitch and jerk, however, rather than a step 
— then tottered and almost lost its balance. What could the 
witch expect? It was nothing, after all, but a scarecrow stuck 
upon two sticks. But the strong-willed old beldam scowled, and 
beckoned, and flung the energy of her purpose so forcibly at this 
poor combination of rotten wood, and musty straw, and ragged 
garments, that it was compelled to show itself a man, in spite of 
the reality of things. So it stepped into the bar of sunshine. 
There it stood — poor devil of a contrivance that it was ! — with 
only the thinnest vesture of human similitude about it, through 
which was evident the stiff, rickety, incongruous, faded, tat- 
tered, good-for-nothing patchwork of its substance, ready to sink 
in a heap upon the floor, as conscious of its own unworthiness to 
be erect. Shall I confess the truth? At its present point of 
vivification, the scarecrow reminds me of some of the lukewarm 
and abortive characters, composed of heterogeneous materials, 
used for the thousandth time, and never worth using, with which 
romance writers (and myself, no doubt, among the rest) have 
so overpeopled the world of fiction. 

But the fierce old hag began to get angry and show a glimpse of 
her diabolic nature (like a snake's head, peeping with a hiss out 
of her bosom), at this pusillanimous behavior of the thing which 
she had taken the trouble to put together. 

" Puff away, wretch ! " cried she, wrathfully. " Puff, puff, 
puff, thou thing of straw and emptiness ! thou rag or two ! thou 



370 FEATHERTOP : A MORALIZED LEGEND 

meal bag ! thou pumpkin head ! thou nothing ! Where shall I 
find a name vile enough to call thee by. Puff, I say, and suck in 
thy fantastic life along with the smoke ! else I snatch the pipe 
from thy mouth and hurl thee where that red coal came from." 

13. Thus threatened, the unhappy scarecrow had nothing for 
it but to puff away for dear life. As need was, therefore, it applied 
itself lustily to the pipe, and sent forth such abundant volleys of 
tobacco smoke that the small cottage kitchen became all vaporous. 
The one sunbeam struggled mistily through, and could but im- 
perfectly define the image of the cracked and dusty window pane 
on the opposite wall. Mother Rigby, meanwhile, with one brown 
arm akimbo and the other stretched towards the figure, loomed 
grimly amid the obscurity with such port and expression as when 
she was wont to heave a ponderous nightmare on her victims 
and stand at the bedside to enjoy their agony. In fear and trem- 
bling did this poor scarecrow puff. But its efforts, it must be 
acknowledged, served an excellent purpose; for, with each suc- 
cessive whiff, the figure lost more and more of its dizzy and per- 
plexing tenuity and seemed to take denser substance. Its very 
garments, moreover, partook of the magical change, and shone 
with the gloss of novelty and glistened with the skilfully em- 
broidered gold that had long ago been rent away. And, half re- 
vealed among the smoke, a yellow visage bent its lustreless eyes 
on Mother Rigby. 

14. At last the old witch clinched her fist and shook it at the 
figure. Not that she was positively angry, but merely acting on 
the principle — perhaps untrue, or not the only truth, though 
as high a one as Mother Rigby could be expected to attain — that 
feeble and torpid natures, being incapable of better inspiration, 
must be stirred up by fear. But here was the crisis. Should 
she fail in what she now sought to effect, it was her ruthless pur- 
pose to scatter the miserable simulacre 7 into its original ele- 
ments. 

" Thou hast a man's aspect," said she, sternly. " Have also 
the echo and mockery of a voice ! I bid thee speak ! " 

7 Simulacre: Sometimes spelled simulacrum (page 382). An 
image or likeness. 



FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 37 l 

15. The scarecrow gasped, struggled, and at length emitted a 
murmur, which was so incorporated with its smoky breath that 
you could scarcely tell whether it were indeed a voice or only a 
whiff of tobacco. Some narrators of this legend hold the opin- 
ion that Mother Rigby's conjurations and the fierceness of her 
will had compelled a familiar spirit into the figure, and that the 
voice was his. 

" Mother," mumbled the poor stifled voice, " be not so awful 
with me ! I would fain speak ; but being without wits, what can 
I say?" 

" Thou canst speak, darling, canst thou ? " cried Mother Rigby, 
relaxing her grim countenance into a smile. " And what shalt 
thou say, quotha ! 8 Say, indeed ! Art thou of the brotherhood 
of the empty skull, and demandest of me what thou shalt say? 
Thou shalt say a thousand things, and saying them a thousand 
times over, thou shalt still have said nothing! Be not afraid, 
I tell thee! When thou comest into the world (whither I pur- 
pose sending thee forthwith) thou shalt not lack the wherewithal 
to talk. Talk! Why, thou shall babble like a mill-stream, if 
thou wilt. Thou hast brains enough for that, I trow ! " 

"At your service, mother," responded the figure. 

16. "And that was well said, my pretty one," answered 
Mother Rigby. " Then thou speakest like thyself, and meant 
nothing. Thou shalt have a hundred such set phrases, and five 
hundred to the boot of them. And now, darling, I have taken so 
much pains with thee and thou art so beautiful, that, by my 
troth, I love thee better than any witch's puppet in the world; 
and I've made them of all sorts — clay, wax, straw, sticks, night 
fog, morning mist, sea foam, and chimney smoke. But thou art 
the very best. So give heed to what I say." 

" Yes, kind mother," said the figure, " with all my heart ! " 
" With all thy heart ! " cried the old witch, setting her hands 
to her sides and laughing loudly. " Thou hast such a pretty 
way of speaking. With all thy heart ! And thou didst put thy 
hand to the left side of thy waistcoat as if thou really hadst 
one ! " 

8 Quotha: An archaic expression equivalent to indeed. 



372 FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 

17. So now, in high good humor with this fantastic contriv- 
ance of hers, Mother Rigby told the scarecrow that it must go 
and play its part in the great world, where not one man in a 
hundred, she affirmed, was gifted with more real substance than 
itself. And, that he might hold up his head with the best of 
them, she endowed him, on the spot, with an unreckonable 
amount of wealth. It consisted partly of a gold mine in Eldo- 
rado, 9 and of ten thousand shares in a broken bubble, and of 
half a million acres of vineyard at the North Pole, and of a cas- 
tle in the air, and a chateau in Spain, 10 together with all the 
rents and income therefrom accruing. She further made over 
to him the cargo of a certain ship, laden with salt of Cadiz, 
which she herself, by her necromantic arts, had caused to foun- 
der, ten years before, in the deepest part of mid-ocean. If the 
salt were not dissolved, and could be brought to market, it would 
fetch a pretty penny among the fishermen. That he might not 
lack ready money, she gave him a copper farthing of Birming- 
ham manufacture, being all the coin she had about her, and like- 
wise a great deal of brass, 11 which she applied to his forehead, 
thus making it yellower than ever. 

" With that brass alone," quoth Mother Rigby, " thou canst 
pay thy way all over the earth. Kiss me, pretty darling ! I have 
done my best for thee." 

18. Furthermore, that the adventurer might lack no possible 
advantage towards a fair start in life, this excellent old dame 
gave him a token by which he was to introduce himself to a cer- 
tain magistrate, member of the council, merchant, and elder of 
the church (the four capacities constituting but one man), who 
stood at the head of society in the neighboring metropolis. The 
token was neither more nor less than a single word, which 
Mother Rigby whispered to the scarecrow, and which the scare- 
crow was to whisper to the merchant. 

" Gouty as the old fellow is, he'll run thy errands for thee, 
when once thou hast given him that word in his ear," said the 

9 Eldorado: A fabulous city of great wealth. 

10 Chateau in Spain: An air castle. 

11 Brass: Why did she give him brass? 



FEATHERTOP : A MORALIZED LEGEND 373 

old witch. " Mother Rigby knows the worshipful Justice 
Gookin, and the worshipful Justice knows Mother Rigby ! " 

Here the witch thrust her wrinkled face close to the puppet's, 
chuckling irrepressibly, and fidgeting all through her system, 
with delight at the idea which she meant to communicate. 

" The worshipful Master Gookin/' whispered she, " hath a 
comely maiden to his daughter. And hark ye, my pet ! Thou 
hast a fair outside, and pretty wit enough of thine own. Yea, 
a pretty wit enough ! Thou wilt think better of it when thou 
hast seen more of other people's wits. Now, with thy outside 
and thy inside, thou art the very man to win a young girl's heart. 
Never doubt it ! I tell thee it shall be so. Put but a bold face 
on the matter, sigh, smile, flourish thy hat, thrust forth thy leg 
like a dancing-master, put thy right hand to the left side of thy 
waistcoat, and pretty Polly Gookin is thine own ! " 

19. All this while the new creature had been sucking in and 
exhaling the vapory fragrance of his pipe, and seemed now to 
continue this occupation as much for the enjoyment it afforded 
as because it was an essential condition of his existence. It was 
wonderful to see how exceedingly like a human being it behaved. 
Its eyes (for it appeared to possess a pair) were bent on Mother 
Rigby, and at suitable junctures it nodded or shook its head. 
Neither did it lack words proper for the occasion : " Really ! 
Indeed ! Pray tell me ! Is it possible ! Upon my word ! By 
no means ! Oh ! Ah ! Hem ! " and other such weighty utter- 
ances as imply attention, inquiry, acquiescence, or dissent on the 
part of the auditor. Even had you stood by and seen the scare- 
crow made, you could scarcely have resisted the conviction that 
it perfectly understood the cunning counsels which the old witch 
poured into its counterfeit of an ear. The more earnestly it ap- 
plied its lips to the pipe, the more distinctly was its human like- 
ness stamped among visible realities, the more sagacious grew 
its expression, the more lifelike its gestures and movements, and 
the more intelligibly audible its voice. Its garments, too, glis- 
tened so much the brighter with an illusory magnificence. The 
very pipe, in which burned the spell of all this wonderwork, 
ceased to appear as a smoke-blackened earthen stump, and be- 



374 FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 

came a meerschaum, with painted bowl and amber mouth-piece. 

20. It might be apprehended, however, that as the life of the 
illusion seemed identical with the vapor of the pipe, it would 
terminate simultaneously with the reduction of the tobacco to 
ashes. But the beldam foresaw the difficulty. 

" Hold thou the pipe, my precious one," said she, " while I fill 
it for thee again." 

It was sorrowful to behold how the fine gentleman began to 
fade back into a scarecrow while Mother Rigby shook the ashes 
out of the pipe and proceeded to replenish it from her tobacco- 
box. 

" Dickon," cried she, in her high, sharp tone, " another coal for 
this pipe ! " 

No sooner said than the intensely red speck of fire was glow- 
ing within the pipe-bowl; and the scarecrow, without waiting 
for the witch's bidding, applied the tube to his lips and drew in a 
few short, convulsive whiffs, which soon, however, became regu- 
lar and equable. 

21. " Now, mine own heart's darling," quoth Mother Rigby, 
" whatever may happen to thee, thou must stick to thy pipe. 
Thy life is in it; and that, at least, thou knowest well, if thou 
knowest nought besides. Stick to thy pipe, I say ! Smoke, puff, 
blow thy cloud ; and tell the people, if any question be made, that 
it is for thy health, and that so the physician orders thee to do. 
And, sweet one, when thou shalt find thy pipe getting low, go 
apart into some corner, and (first filling thyself with smoke) 
cry sharply, * Dickon, a fresh pipe of tobacco ! ' and, ' Dickon, an- 
other coal for my pipe ! ' and have it into thy pretty mouth as 
speedily as may be. Else, instead of a gallant gentleman in a 
gold-laced coat, thou wilt be but a jumble of sticks and tattered 
clothes, and a bag of straw, and a withered pumpkin ! Now de- 
part, my treasure, and good luck go with thee ! " 

" Never fear, mother ! " said the figure, in a stout voice, and 
sending forth a courageous whiff of smoke, " I will thrive, if 
an honest man and a gentleman may ! " 

" Oh, thou wilt be the death of me ! " cried the old witch, con- 
vulsed with laughter. " That was well said. If an honest man 



FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 375 

and a gentleman may ! Thou playest thy part to perfection. 
Get along with thee for a smart fellow; and I will wager on 
thy head, as a man of pith and substance, with a brain and what 
they call a heart, and all else that a man should have, against any 
other thing on two legs. I hold myself a better witch than yes- 
terday, for thy sake. Did not I make thee? And I defy any 
witch in New England to make such another! Here; take my 
staff along with thee ! " 

22, The staff, though it was but a plain oaken stick, immedi- 
ately took the aspect of a gold-headed cane. 

" That gold head has as much sense in it as thine own," said 
Mother Rigby, " and it will guide thee straight to worshipful 
Master Gookin's door. Get thee gone, my pretty pet, my darling, 
my precious one, my treasure; and if any ask thy name, it is 
Feathertop. For thou hast a feather in thy hat, and I have 
thrust a handful of feathers into the hollow of thy head, and thy 
wig, too, is of the fashion they call Feathertop, — so be Feather- 
top thy name ! " 

And, issuing from the cottage, Feathertop strode manfully to- 
wards town. Mother Rigby stood at the threshold, well pleased 
to see how the sunbeams glistened on him, as if all his magnifi- 
cence were real, and how diligently and lovingly he smoked his 
pipe, and how handsomely he walked, in spite of a little stiffness 
of his legs. She watched him until out of sight, and threw a 
witch benediction after her darling, when a turn of the road 
snatched him from her view. 

23. Betimes in the forenoon, when the principal street of the 
neighboring town was just at its acme of life and bustle, a 
stranger of very distinguished figure was seen on the sidewalk. 
His port as well as his garments betokened nothing short of 
nobility. He wore a richly-embroidered plum-colored coat, a 
waistcoat of costly velvet, magnificently adorned with golden 
foliage, a pair of splendid scarlet breeches, and the finest and 
glossiest of white silk stockings. His head was covered with a 
peruke, so daintily powdered and adjusted that it would have 
been sacrilege to disorder it with a hat; which, therefore (and 
it was a gold-laced hat, set off with a snowy feather), he carried 



37 6 FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 

beneath his arm. On the breast of his coat glistened a star. 
He managed his gold-headed cane with an airy grace, peculiar to 
the fine gentlemen of the period ; and, to give the highest possible 
finish to his equipment, he had lace ruffles at his wrist, of a most 
ethereal delicacy, sufficiently avouching how idle and aristo- 
cratic must be the hands which they half concealed. 

24. It was a remarkable point in the accoutrement of this bril- 
liant personage that he held in his left hand a fantastic kind of a 
pipe, with an exquisitely painted bowl and an amber mouthpiece. 
This he applied to his lips as often as every five or six paces, and 
inhaled a deep whiff of smoke, which, after being retained a mo- 
ment in his lungs, might be seen to eddy gracefully from his 
mouth and nostrils. 

As may well be supposed, the street was all astir to find out 
the stranger's name. 

" It is some great nobleman, beyond question, " said one of the 
townspeople. " Do you see the star at his breast? " 

" Nay ; it is too bright to be seen," said another. " Yes ; he 
must needs be a nobleman, as you say. But by what conveyance, 
think you, can his lordship have voyaged or travelled hither? 
There has been no vessel from the old country for a month past ; 
and if he have arrived overland from the southward, pray where 
are his attendants and equipage ? " 

" He needs no equipage to set off his rank," remarked a third. 
" If he came among us in rags, nobility would shine through a hole 
in his elbow. I never saw such dignity of aspect. He has the 
old Norman blood in his veins, I warrant him." 

" I rather take him to be a Dutchman, or one of your high 
Germans," said another citizen. " The men of those countries 
have always the pipe at their mouths." 

25. " And so has a Turk," answered his companion. " But, in 
my judgment, this stranger hath been bred at the French court, 
and hath there learned politeness and grace of manner, which 
none understand so well as the nobility of France. That gait, 
now ! A vulgar spectator might deem it stiff — he might call it 
a hitch and jerk — but, to my eye, it hath an unspeakable maj- 
esty, and must have been acquired by constant observation of 



FEATHERTOP : A MORALIZED LEGEND Z77 

the deportment of the Grand Monarque. 12 The stranger's char- 
acter and office are evident enough. He is a French ambassa- 
dor, come to treat with our rulers about the cession of Canada." 
" More probably a Spaniard," said another, " and hence his 
yellow complexion; or, most likely, he is from the Havana, or 
from some port on the Spanish main, and comes to make investi- 
gation about the piracies which our government is thought to 
connive at. Those settlers in Peru and Mexico have skins as 
yellow as the gold which they dig out of their mines." 

26. " Yellow or not," cried a lady, " he is a beautiful man ! - — 
so tall, so slender ! such a fine, noble face, with so well-shaped a 
nose, and all that delicacy of expression about the mouth ! And 
bless me, how bright his star is ! It positively shoots out 
flames ! " 

" So do your eyes, fair lady," said the stranger, with a bow 
and a flourish of his pipe; for he was just passing at the instant. 
" Upon my honor, they have quite dazzled me." 

" Was ever so original and exquisite a compliment ? " mur- 
mured the lady, in an ecstasy of delight. 

Amid the general admiration excited by the stranger's appear- 
ance, there were only two dissenting voices. One was that of 
an impertinent cur, which, after snuffing at the heels of the 
glistening figure, put its tail between its legs and skulked into 
its master's back yard, vociferating an execrable howl. The 
other dissentient was a young child, who squalled at the fullest 
stretch of his lungs, and babbled some unintelligible nonsense 
about a pumpkin. 

27. Feathertop meanwhile pursued his way along the street. 
Except for the few complimentary words to the lady, and now 
and then a slight inclination of the head in requital of the pro- 
found reverences of the bystanders, he seemed wholly absorbed 
in his pipe. There needed no other proof of his rank and con- 
sequence than the perfect equanimity with which he comported 
himself, while the curiosity and admiration of the town swelled 
almost into clamor around him. With a crowd gathering be- 
hind his footsteps, he finally reached the mansion-house of the 

12 Grand Monarque: See note on Louis le Grand on page 365. 



37§ FEATHERTOP : A MORALIZED LEGEND 

worshipful Justice Gookin, entered the gate, ascended the steps 
of the front door, and knocked. In the interim, before his 
summons was answered, the stranger was observed to shake the 
ashes out of his pipe. 

28. " What did he say in that sharp voice ? " inquired one of 
the spectators. 

" 'Nay, I know not," answered his friend. " But the sun 
dazzles my eyes strangely. How dim and faded his lordship 
looks all of a sudden ! Bless my wits, what is the matter with 
me?" 

" The wonder is," said the other, " that his pipe, which was 
out only an instant ago, should be all alight again, and with the 
reddest coal I ever saw. There is something mysterious about 
this stranger. What a whiff of smoke was that ! Dim and 
faded did you call him ? Why, as he turns about the star on his 
breast is all ablaze." 

" It is, indeed," said his companion ; " and it will go near to 
dazzle pretty Polly Gookin, whom I see peeping at it out of the 
chamber window." 

The door being now opened, Feathertop turned to the crowd, 
made a stately bend of his body like a great man acknowledging 
the reverence of the meaner sort, and vanished into the house. 
There was a mysterious kind of a smile, if it might not better 
be called a grin or grimace, upon his visage ; but, of all the throng 
that beheld him, not an individual appears to have possessed 
insight enough to detect the illusive character of the stranger 
except a little child and a cur dog. 13 

29. Our legend here loses somewhat of its continuity, and, 
passing over the preliminary explanation between Feathertop 
and the merchant, goes in quest of the pretty Polly Gookin. She 
was a damsel of a soft, round figure, with light hair and blue 
eyes, and a fair, rosy face, which seemed neither very shrewd 
nor very simple. This young lady had caught a glimpse of the 
glistening stranger while standing at the threshold, and had 
forthwith put on a laced cap, a string of beads, her finest 

^Except a little child and a cur dog: Why do these see the true 
nature of Feathertop? Why are the people deceived? 



FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 379 

kerchief, and her stiffest damask petticoat in preparation for 
the interview. Hurrying from her chamber to the parlor, she 
had ever since been viewing herself in the large looking-glass and 
practising pretty airs — now a smile, now a ceremonious dignity 
of aspect, and now a softer smile than the former, kissing her 
hand likewise, tossing her head, and managing her fan; while 
within the mirror an unsubstantial little maid repeated every 
gesture and did all the foolish things that Polly did, but without 
making her ashamed of them. In short, it was the fault of pretty 
Polly's ability rather than her will if she failed to be as complete 
an artifice as the illustrious Feathertop himself; and, when she 
thus tampered with her own simplicity, the witch's phantom 
might well hope to win her. 

30. No sooner did Polly hear her father's gouty footsteps ap- 
proaching the parlor door, accompanied with the stiff clatter of 
Feathertop's high-heeled shoes, than she seated herself bolt up- 
right and innocently began warbling a song. 

" Polly ! daughter Polly ! " cried the old merchant. " Come 
hither, child." 

Master Gookin's aspect, as he opened the door, was doubtful 
and troubled. 

" This gentleman," continued he, presenting the stranger, " is 
the Chevalier Feathertop, — nay, I beg his pardon, my Lord 
Feathertop, — who hath brought me a token of remembrance 
from an ancient friend of mine. Pay your duty to his lordship, 
child, and honor him as his quality deserves/' 

31. After these few words of introduction, the worshipful 
magistrate immediately quitted the room. But, even in that brief 
moment, had the fair Polly glanced aside at her father instead 
of devoting herself wholly to the brilliant guest, she might have 
taken warning of some mischief nigh at hand. The old man was 
nervous, fidgety, and very pale. Purposing a smile of courtesy, 
he had deformed his face with a sort of galvanic grin, which, 
when Feathertop's back was turned, he exchanged for a scowl, 
at the same time shaking his fist and stamping his gouty foot — 
an incivility which brought its retribution along with it. The 
truth appears to have been that Mother Rigby's word of intro- 



380 FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 

duction, whatever it might be, had operated far more on the rich 
merchant's fears than on his good will. Moreover, being a man 
of wonderfully acute observation, he had noticed that these 
painted figures on the bowl of Feathertop's pipe were in motion. 
Looking more closely, he became convinced that these figures 
were a party of little demons, each duly provided with horns and 
a tail, and dancing hand in hand, with gestures of diabolical 
merriment, round the circumference of the pipe bowl. As if to 
confirm his suspicions, while Master Gookin ushered his guest 
along a dusky passage from his private room to the parlor, 
the star on Feathertop's breast had scintillated actual flames, 
and threw a flickering gleam upon the wall, the ceiling, and the 
floor. 

32. With such sinister prognostics manifesting themselves on 
all hands, it is not to be marvelled at that the merchant should 
have felt that he was committing his daughter to a very ques- 
tionable acquaintance. He cursed, in his secret soul, the insin- 
uating elegance of Feathertop's manners, as this brilliant per- 
sonage bowed, smiled, put his hand on his heart, inhaled a long 
whiff from his pipe, and enriched the atmosphere with the smoky 
vapor of a fragrant and visible sigh. Gladly would poor Master 
Gookin have thrust his dangerous guest into the street ; but there 
was a constraint and terror within him. This respectable old 
gentleman, we fear, at an earlier period of life, had given some 
pledge or other to the evil principle, and perhaps was now to 
redeem it by the sacrifice of his daughter. 

It so happened that the parlor door was partly of glass, shaded 
by a silken curtain, the folds of which hung a little awry. So 
strong was the merchant's interest in witnessing what was to 
ensue between the fair Polly and the gallant Feathertop that, 
after quitting the room, he could by no means refrain from peep- 
ing through the crevice of the curtain. 

33. But there was nothing very miraculous to be seen ; noth- 
ing — except the trifles previously noticed — to confirm the idea 
of a supernatural peril environing the pretty Polly. The 
stranger, it is true, was evidently a thorough and practised man 






FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 381 

of the world, systematic and self-possessed, and therefore the 
sort of a person to whom a parent ought not to confide a simple, 
young girl without due watchfulness for the result. The wor- 
thy magistrate, who had been conversant with all degrees and 
qualities of mankind, could not but perceive every motion and 
gesture of the distinguished Feathertop came in its proper place ; 
nothing had been left rude or native in him; a well-digested 
conventionalism had incorporated itself thoroughly with his 
substance and transformed him into a work of art. Perhaps it 
was this peculiarity that invested him with a species of ghastli- 
ness and awe. It is the effect of anything completely and con- 
summately artificial, in human shape, that the person impresses 
us as an unreality and as having hardly pith enough to cast a 
shadow upon the floor. As regarded Feathertop, all this re- 
sulted in a wild, extravagant, and fantastical impression, as if 
his life and being were akin to the smoke that curled upward 
from his pipe. 

34. But pretty Polly Gookin felt not thus. The pair were now 
promenading the room; Feathertop with his dainty stride and 
no less dainty grimace; the girl with a native maidenly grace, 
just touched, not spoiled, by a slightly affected manner, which 
seemed caught from the perfect artifice of her companion. The 
longer the interview continued, the more charmed was pretty 
Polly, until, within the first quarter of an hour (as the old 
magistrate noted by his watch), she was evidently beginning to 
be in love. Nor need it have been witchcraft that subdued her 
in such a hurry; the poor child's heart, it may be, was so very 
fervent that it melted her with its own warmth as reflected from 
the hollow semblance of a lover. No matter what Feathertop 
said, his words found depth and reverberation in her ear; no 
matter what he did, his action was heroic to her eye. And by 
this time it is to be supposed there was a blush on Polly's cheek, 
a tender smile about her mouth, and a liquid softness in her 
glance; while the star kept coruscating on Feathertop's breast, 
and the little demons careered with more frantic merriment than 
ever about the circumference of his pipe bowl. O pretty Polly 



382 FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 

Gookin, why should these imps rejoice so madly that a silly 
maiden's heart was about to be given to a shadow ! Is it so 
unusual a misfortune, so rare a triumph? 

35. By and by Feathertop paused, and throwing himself into 
an imposing attitude, seemed to summon the fair girl to survey 
his figure and resist him longer if she could. His star, his em- 
broidery, his buckles glowed at that instant with unutterable 
splendor ; the picturesque hues of his attire took a richer depth of 
coloring ; there was a gleam and polish over his whole presence 
betokening the perfect witchery of well-ordered manners. The 
maiden raised her eyes and suffered them to linger upon her 
companion with a bashful and admiring gaze. Then, as if 
desirous of judging what value her own simple comeliness might 
have side by side with so much brilliancy, she cast a glance to- 
wards the full-length looking-glass in front of which they hap- 
pened to be standing. It was one of the truest plates in the 
world and incapable of flattery. No sooner did the images 
therein reflected meet Polly's eye than she shrieked, shrank 
from the stranger's side, gazed at him for a moment in the 
wildest dismay, and sank insensible upon the floor. Feathertop 
likewise had looked towards the mirror, and there beheld, not 
the glittering mockery of his outside show, but a picture of the 
sordid patchwork of his real composition, stripped of all witch- 
craft. 

36. The wretched simulacrum ! We almost pity him. He 
threw up his arms with an expression of despair that went fur- 
ther than any of his previous manifestations towards vindicat- 
ing his claims to be reckoned human; for, perchance the only 
time since this so often empty and deceptive life of mortals be- 
gan its course, an illusion had seen and fully recognized itself. 

Mother Rigby was seated by her kitchen hearth in the twilight 
of this eventful day, and had just shaken the ashes out of a new 
pipe, when she heard a hurried tramp along the road. Yet it 
did not seem so much the tramp of human footsteps as the clatter 
of sticks or the rattling of dry bones. 

"Ha!" thought the old witch, "what step is that? Whose 
skeleton is out of its grave now, I wonder ? " 



FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 3$3 

37. A figure burst headlong into the cottage door. It was 
Feathertop! His pipe was still alight; the star still flamed 
upon his breast ; the embroidery still glowed upon his garments ; 
nor had he lost, in any degree or manner that could be estimated, 
the aspect that assimilated him with our mortal brotherhood. 
But yet, in some indescribable way (as is the case with all that 
has deluded us when once found out), the poor reality was felt 
beneath the cunning artifice. 

" What has gone wrong ? " demanded the witch. " Did yonder 
sniffling hypocrite thrust my darling from his door ? The villain ! 
I'll set twenty fiends to torment him till he offer thee his daughter 
on his bended knees ! " 

" No, mother/' said ' Feathertop despondingly ; " it was not 
that." 

" Did the girl scorn my precious one ? " asked Mother Rigby, 
her fierce eyes glowing like two coals of Tophet. 14 " I'll cover 
her face with pimples ! Her nose shall be as red as the coal in 
thy pipe ! Her front teeth shall drop out ! In a week hence 
she shall not be worth thy having ! " 

" Let her alone, mother/' answered poor Feathertop ; " the 
girl was half won ; and methinks a kiss from her sweet lips might 
have made me altogether human. But," he added, after a brief 
pause and then a howl of self-contempt, " I've seen myself, 
mother ! IVe seen myself for the wretched, ragged, empty thing 
I am ! I'll exist no longer ! " 

38. Snatching the pipe from his mouth, he flung it with all his 
might against the chimney, and at the same instant sank upon the 
floor, a medley of straw and tattered garments, with some sticks 
protruding from the heap, and a shrivelled pumpkin in the midst. 
The eyeholes were now lustreless ; but the rudely-carved gap, 
that just before had been a mouth, still seemed to twist itself into 
a despairing grin, and was so far human. 

" Poor fellow ! " quoth Mother Rigby, with a rueful glance at 
the relics of her ill-fated contrivance. " My poor, dear, pretty 
Feathertop ! There are thousands upon thousands of coxcombs 
and charlatans in the world, made up of just such a jumble of 

14 Tophet: Hell. 



384 FEATHERTOP : A MORALIZED LEGEND 

wornout, forgotten, and good-for-nothing trash as he was ! 
Yet they live in fair repute, and never see themselves for what 
they are. And why should my poor puppet be the only one to 
know himself and perish for it? " 

39. While thus muttering, the witch had filled a fresh pipe of 
tobacco, and held the stem between her fingers, as doubtful 
whether to thrust it into her own mouth or Feathertop's. 

" Poor Feathertop ! " she continued. " I could easily give him 
another chance and send him forth again to-morrow. But no; 
his feelings are too tender, his sensibilities too deep. He seems 
to have too much heart to bustle for his own advantage in such 
an empty and heartless world. Well ! well ! I'll make a scare- 
crow of him after all. 'Tis an innocent and useful vocation, and 
will suit my darling well; and, if each of his human brethren 
had as fit a one, 'twould be the better for mankind; and as for 
this pipe of tobacco, I need it more than he." 

So saying, Mother Rigby put the stem between her lips. 
" Dickon ! " cried she, in her high, sharp tone, " another coal 
for my pipe ! " 

FEATHERTOP 
Class Discussion 

What traits of character does Mother Rigby have, which 
are commonly assigned to witches? From what you can 
learn in the story, describe her person ? What superhuman 
powers did she possess ? Is there anything remarkable about 
the coming and going of Dickon? 

In what period of American history did people believe 
most strongly in witches ? Judging from the fashion of the 
clothes which Mother Rigby put on the scarecrow, try to 
fix the date of the story. Does anybody believe in witches 
to-day ? 

What were some of the characteristics of the fine young 
man with which the witch thought best to endow the scare- 
crow? What articles of clothing resembled those of the 



FEATHERTOP: A MORALIZED LEGEND 385 

dandy? Did the townsmen who saw the scarecrow, ad- 
mire it? Why? Had Mother Rigby expected them to ad- 
mire it? 

How does Polly Gookin conduct herself upon her intro- 
duction to Feathertop? Is her conduct characteristic of 
foolish girls? Is Master Gookin deceived by the disguise 
of the scarecrow? What do you suppose Feathertop whis- 
pered in his ear ? 

What lesson is to be drawn from the calamity that befell 
Feathertop when he looked into the mirror? Do the cox- 
combs who are deceiving the world ever see themselves as 
they really are ? 

State in your own words the moral of this tale. It is 
characteristic of Hawthorne to make the moral of his tales 
very plain; point out the sentences in which he stresses 
the moral of this one. 



IX 
NARRATIVE 

Story-Telling Is a Difficult Art. A narrative is a story. 
A simple narrative is a series of events or happenings ar- 
ranged in the order in which they naturally occur. Hav- 
ing been familiar with stories from your earliest childhood, 
you have no doubt noted that some people tell them more 
entertainingly than others. The fact is that story-telling 
is an art in which few attain any degree of perfection. 
For a good story is the result of more care and study than 
is evident on the face of it; success comes only after long 
practice. 

Retelling a Story. Retelling the stories you have read 
is a good exercise in narration. The stories in this book 
are among the best to be found in the language. They fur- 
nish the most suitable material for work of this kind. In 
retelling stories you will, of course, leave out much descrip- 
tive and explanatory matter, and confine yourself chiefly 
to the important events. It is well to take a pencil and 
paper and make a list of the chief events before attempt- 
ing to reproduce them. A list somewhat like the following 
will be of service to you: 

Rip Van Winkle 
i. Rip takes his gun and goes to the forest. 

2. Becoming tired, he lies down. 

3. The Dutchman appears. 

4. Rip assists him with the keg. 

5. They come to the amphitheatre and the other Dutchmen, 

386 



NARRATIVE 3$7 

6. Rip drinks from the flagon and sleeps. 

7. He awakes. 

8. He goes to his old home and finds no one. 

9. He next goes to the inn. 

10. He inquires after his friends. 

11. He doubts if he is himself. 

12. He finds his daughter. 

13. The explanation. 

Theme I. Refer to " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ; " 
make out a list of events; and prepare to tell the story 
in class, using this list. 

Theme II. Prepare to tell " The Great Stone Face " in 
class from a similar list. 

Action in the Story. The selections from Hawthorne 
and Irving contain much explanatory and descriptive mat- 
ter which adds greatly to the stories. Yet a beginner should 
be careful in trying to imitate these authors in this par- 
ticular, for only a skilled hand can weave descriptive mat- 
ter into a story without detracting from the interest of 
the narrative. Happily, a simple, straight-forward story 
requires very little in the way of description and explana- 
tion. A descriptive phrase, and a few explanatory words, 
here and there, are usually enough. Action is the impor- 
tant thing. 

Theme III. Write the story of " The Golden Touch " 
in three hundred words. In class, under the guidance of 
the teacher, go through your composition with a pencil and 
mark out every descriptive or explanatory phrase that is 
not absolutely necessary to the sense. Compare the story 
after taking out these phrases with the story which you first 
wrote. Which is the better? 

Exercises. 1. Find the point in "Rip Van Winkle " 
where the action begins. Find the same point in " The 
Legend of Sleepy Hollow/' 



388 NARRATIVE 

2. Is there as much descriptive matter in " The Golden 
Touch " as in Irving's stories ? Does this story move rap- 
idly? 

The Number of Paragraphs. The young writer is often 
troubled about the number of paragraphs to use. If he 
remembers the definition of a paragraph — a group of sen- 
tences bearing upon the same topic — his annoyance should 
vanish. In a narrative let him divide the story into two 
or three main incidents, associate the minor happenings with 
these, and develop as many paragraphs as he has main in- 
cidents. The story of a boy scout's " hike," for example, 
might readily fall into four paragraphs : ( i ) The prepara- 
tion for the journey; (2) The journey to the camp; (3) 
The happenings of the day; (4) The "hike" home. 

The Paragraph Theme. In the case of many short 
themes, the incidents are so brief that they may often be 
arranged in a single paragraph. One paragraph may thus 
tell the whole story. It may be a page in length or even 
longer. 

Theme IV. Write the story of a " hike " or picnic. 
Group the incidents under headings similar to those sug- 
gested above. 

Theme V. Try to condense the story into a single 
paragraph. 

Stories from Actual Experience. Stories from actual 
experience furnish beginners with the best themes for com- 
position. Happenings in your own life make the deepest 
impressions upon you. Hence, you can tell them with either 
tongue or pen more readily than you can tell events in the 
life of another. 

Think Through the Incident. If you attempt to relate 
a story from your own experience, first think through the 
entire incident to make sure you can recollect all the hap- 
penings. One who begins a story expecting to recall events 






NARRATIVE 3§9 

he has partly forgotten, may regard himself fortunate to 
reach the end successfully. 

What First? The reader is naturally interested in learn- 
ing the scene of the story. he is reading, its date, and its 
chief character. The first few sentences should, if pos- 
sible, convey this information. There are few short stories 
which do not make some reference in the opening sentences 
to the time, place, and chief character. 

Exercises. I. Turn to "The Spectre Bridegroom " and 
mark the sentence or sentences that answer the reader's ques- 
tions When? Where? and Who? 

2. Find the answers to these questions in " The Courtship 
of Miles Standish." 

3. Find where Hawthorne answers the questions When? 
Where? and Who? in " The Great Stone Face." 

Selection of Events. In telling a story from your own 
experience, do not undertake to tell everything that hap- 
pened. You will doubtless call to mind many unimportant 
happenings that add little or nothing to the main thread of 
the story. These you cannot use for want of space. Be- 
sides you cannot afford to bore the reader by telling things 
that do not interest him. For instance, no reader would 
have the patience to read your account of a fishing excur- 
sion which included all that happened from first to last, 
even though space permitted your telling it. Select for 
the story only important events and be sure to select those 
that carry the narrative forward. 

The Order of Events. Follow the natural order of 
events in telling a story. Tell each event in the order in 
which it occurred. A careless story-teller often leaves out 
an important event and is forced to go back to supply the 
missing link. Sometimes an inexperienced writer or speaker 
begins in the middle of his story. Errors of this kind are 
very confusing to one trying to follow the thread of a story. 



390 NARRATIVE 

Theme VI. Rewrite the following story, transposing the 
events to their proper places: 

" Why don't you speak for yourself, John ? " is what 
Priscilla told John Alden when he asked her to marry Miles 
Standish. Miles had fallen in love with Priscilla, but, 
being a bashful man, he was afraid to ask her to be his 
wife. He decided to get his friend John Alden to make 
his wish known to her. 

John courted Priscilla for Miles Standish. Priscilla 
heard him patiently and then asked him why he did not 
speak for himself. Now, John had long been in love with 
Priscilla and it had been a hard task for him to make the 
proposal for Miles, yet, for the sake of friendship, he did it. 
Miles, was very angry when he heard Priscilla's answer and 
he went away immediately on a long march against the In- 
dians. Soon a rumor was circulated that he was dead. 
John and Priscilla were then married. This story took 
place at Plymouth. The characters were people who had 
come over in the Mayflower. Miles returned on the day 
of the marriage and forgave them. 

Exercises. I. Examine the list of events for " Rip Van 
Winkle" on page 386 to see if they are arranged in the 
order of time. 

2. Make a list of the important events in " The Golden 
Touch." Examine this to see if the events are in the 
order of time. 

3. Make a similar list from " The Great Stone Face." 
The Climax. The climax is the point of highest interest 

in a story. It is the chief event toward which all other 
events move. It is the "point" of the story. In simpler 
stories the climax is usually at the end because the interest 
wanes as soon as the " point " is reached. In such stories 
explanatory remarks are out of place after the climax. The 
climax of " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow " comes when 



NARRATIVE 39 1 

Ichabod is knocked from his horse by the goblin. Notice 
how few additional paragraphs are needed to conclude this 
long story. 

Exercises. I. Find the climax of " The Spectre Bride- 
groom." How many paragraphs follow the safe appear- 
ance of the baron's daughter and the bridegroom? 

2. What is the climax of " The Courtship of Miles Stand- 
ish"? of "The Golden Touch "? 

Theme VII. Write a story from your experience, en- 
titled " The Runaway " or " The Wreck." Use either title 
you prefer. Follow these directions : 

i. Make a list of the important events. 

2. Revise this list. Mark out any unnecessary events. 
Add any you had overlooked. 

3. Mention the time, place, and chief character in the 
first sentence. 

4. Arrange the events in the order of time. 

5. Place the climax last and stop when you have 
reached it. 

Theme VIII. Prepare to tell in class a story entitled 
" A Hairbreadth Escape." Tell a personal experience. Use 
the directions given above. 

Theme IX. Write according to the above directions a 
story entitled " How I Avoided an Embarrassing Situa- 
tion." 

Theme X. In like manner tell in class the story of a 
haunted house. If you do not know the story of any par- 
ticular house, get some friend to tell you one. 

Stories in the First Person. Sometimes it is of ad- 
vantage to tell a story in the first person. The use of the 
first person gives the story the ring of an actual experience, 
and consequently catches the attention of the reader or 
hearer. Public speakers frequently use the first person to 
make their stories more vivid. 



39 2 NARRATIVE 

Theme XL Prepare to tell orally " The Spectre Bride- 
groom " from the standpoint of the baron. Put yourself in 
his place and tell the story in the first person. Remember 
the directions for telling a story given on page 391. 

Theme XII. Tell, as if you were the chief character, 
a joke or story you have recently heard. 

Theme XIII. Imagine yourself Marygold and write the 
story of " The Golden Touch " from her point of view. 

Conversation in the Story. Conversation enlivens a 
story. The most popular books are those that have plenty 
of conversation in them. When it is necessary to report 
conversation in a narrative, it is best to use the direct words 
of the speakers. It is well also to remember that no two 
persons talk exactly alike. Certainly an Irishman and a 
negro would hardly express the same idea in the same 
manner, neither would a child and a teacher use the same 
words and ideas. 

Theme XIV. Tell a story entitled " The Play That Won 
the Game." Tell an actual experience and try to work some 
conversation into it. See page 284 for directions for para- 
graphing quotations. 

Theme XV. Write the story of a tramp. Give your 
conversation with him. 

Theme XVI. Write a story entitled " Susie's First Day 
at School." Imagine the little girl telling her experiences 
to her mother. Let the mother have a share in the conversa- 
tion. 






X 

WESTMINSTER ABBEY * 

i. On one of those sober and rather melancholy days, in the 
latter part of autumn, when the shadows of morning and eve- 
ning almost mingle together, and throw a gloom over the decline 
of the year, I passed several hours in rambling about West- 
minster Abbey. There was something congenial to the season 
in the mournful magnificence of the old pile; and, as I passed 
its threshold, it seemed like stepping back into the regions of 
antiquity, and losing myself among the shades of former ages. 

2. I entered from the inner court of Westminster School, 
through a long, low, vaulted passage, that had an almost sub- 
terranean look, being dimly lighted in one part by circular per- 
forations in the massive walls. Through this dark avenue I 
had a distant view of the cloisters, with the figure of an old 
verger, in his black gown, moving along their shadowy vaults, 
and seeming like a spectre from one of the neighboring tombs. 
The approach to the abbey through these gloomy monastic re- 
mains prepares the mind for its solemn contemplation. The 
cloisters still retain something of the quiet and seclusion of 
former days. The gray walls are discolored by damps, and 
crumbling with age ; a coat of hoary moss has gathered over the 
inscriptions of the. mural monuments, 1 and obscured the death's- 
heads, and other funereal emblems. The sharp touches of the 
chisel are gone from the rich tracery of the arches; the roses 
which adorned the key-stones have lost their leafy beauty ; every- 
thing bears marks of the gradual dilapidations of time, which 
yet has something touching and pleasing in its very decay. 

* This essay by Irving is placed here in order to have it precede 
the chapter on Description. 

1 Mural monuments : Monuments carved out of, or forming a part 
of the wall. 

393 



394 WESTMINSTER ABBEY 

3. The sun was pouring down a yellow autumnal ray into 
the square of the cloisters ; beaming upon a scanty plot of grass 
in the centre, and lighting up an angle of the vaulted passage 
with a kind of dusky splendor. From between the arcades, 2 
the eye glanced up to a bit of blue sky or a passing cloud, and 
beheld the sun-gilt pinnacles of the abbey towering into the 
azure heaven. 

4. As I paced the cloisters, sometimes contemplating this 
mingled picture of glory and decay, and sometimes endeavor- 
ing to decipher the inscriptions on the tombstones, which formed 
the pavement beneath my feet, my eye w r as attracted to three 
figures, rudely carved in relief, but nearly worn away by the 
footsteps of many generations. They were the effigies of three 
of the early abbots ; the epitaphs were entirely effaced ; the names 
alone remained, having no doubt been renewed in later times. 
(Vitalis Abbas. 1082, and Gislebertus Crispinus. Abbas. 11 14, 
and Laurentius. Abbas. 1176.) I remained some little while, 
musing over these casual relics of antiquity, thus left like 
wrecks upon this distant shore of time, telling no tale but that 
such beings had been, and had perished; teaching no moral but 
the futility of that pride w T hich hopes still to exact homage in its 
ashes, and to live in an inscription. A little longer, and even 
these faint records will be obliterated, and the monument will 
cease to be a memorial. Whilst I was yet looking down upon 
these gravestones, I was roused by the sound of the abbey clock, 
reverberating from buttress to buttress, and echoing among the 
cloisters. It is almost startling to hear this warning of departed 
time sounding among the tombs, and telling the lapse of the 
hour, which, like a billow, has rolled us onward towards the 
grave. I pursued my walk to an arched door opening to the 
interior of the abbey. On entering here, the magnitude of the 
building breaks fully upon the mind, contrasted with the vaults 
of the cloisters. The eyes gaze with wonder at clustered 
columns of gigantic dimensions, with arches springing from 
them to such an amazing height ; and man wandering about their 
bases, shrunk into insignificance in comparison with his own 

2 Arcades: A covered passage supported by arches. 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 395 

handiwork. The spaciousness and gloom of this vast edifice 
produce a profound and mysterious awe. We step cautiously and 
softly about, as if fearful of disturbing the hallowed silence of 
the tomb; while every footfall whispers along the walls, and 
chatters among the sepulchres, making us more sensible of the 
quiet we have interrupted. 

5. It seems as if the awful nature of the place presses down 
upon the soul, and hushes the beholder into noiseless rever- 
ence. We feel that we are surrounded by the congregated bones 
of the great men of past times, who have filled history with their 
deeds, and the earth with their renown. 

6. And yet it almost provokes a smile at the vanity of human 
ambition, to see how they are crowded together and jostled in the 
dust; what parsimony is observed in doling out a scanty nook, 
a gloomy corner, a little portion of earth, to those, whom, when 
alive, kingdoms could not satisfy; and how many shapes, and 
forms, and artifices are devised to catch the casual notice of the 
passenger, and save from forgetfulness, for a few short years, 
a name which once aspired to occupy ages of the world's thought 
and admiration. 

7. I passed some time in Poets' Corner, 3 which occupies an 
end of one of the transepts or cross aisles of the abbey. The 
monuments are generally simple; for the lives of literary men 
afford no striking themes for the sculptor. Shakspeare and 
Addison have statues erected to their memories ; but the greater 
part have busts, medallions, and sometimes mere inscriptions. 
Notwithstanding the simplicity of these memorials, I have 
always observed that the visitors to the abbey remained longest 
about them. A kinder and fonder feeling takes the place of that 
cold curiosity or vague admiration with which they gaze on the 
splendid monuments of the great and the heroic. They linger 
about these as about the tombs of friends and companions; for 

3 Poets' Corner: At first only the royalty and the higher clergy 
were buried in the abbey, but later, the most distinguished men of 
the country came to be honored with burial there, or had monuments 
or tablets placed in their memory. Poets' Corner was set apart, 
especially for memorials in honor of men of letters. Chaucer was 
the first poet buried there. 



396 WESTMINSTER ABBEY 

indeed there is something of companionship between the author 
and the reader. Other men are known to posterity only through 
the medium of history, which is continually growing faint and 
obscure ; but the intercourse between the author and his fellow- 
men is ever new, active, and immediate. He has lived for them 
more than for himself; he has sacrificed surrounding enjoy- 
ments, and shut himself up from the delights of social life, that 
he might the more intimately commune with distant minds and 
distant ages. Well may the world cherish his renown; for it 
has been purchased, not by deeds of violence and blood, but by 
the diligent dispensation of pleasure. Well may posterity be 
grateful to his memory; for he has left it an inheritance, not 
of empty names and sounding actions, but whole treasures of 
wisdom, bright gems of thought, and golden veins of language. 

8. From Poets' Corner I continued my stroll towards that 
part of the abbey which contains the sepulchres of the kings. 
I wandered among what once were chapels, but which are now 
occupied by the tombs and monuments of the great. At every 
turn I met with some illustrious name, or the cognizance of 
some powerful house renowned in history. As the eye darts 
into these dusky chambers of death, it catches glimpses of quaint 
effigies; some kneeling in niches, as if in devotion; others 
stretched upon the tombs, with hands piously pressed together; 
warriors in armor, as if reposing after battle; prelates with 
crosiers and mitres 4 ; and nobles in robes and coronets, lying 
as it were in state. In glancing over this scene, so strangely 
populous, yet where every form is so still and silent, it seems 
almost as if we were treading a mansion of that fabled city, 
where every being had been suddenly transmuted into stone. 

9. I paused to contemplate a tomb on which lay the effigy of 
a knight in complete armor. A large buckler was on one arm ; 
the hands were pressed together in supplication upon the breast : 
the face was almost covered by the morion ; 5 the legs were 

4 Prelates zvith croziers and mitres: A prelate is a bishop; the 
crozier is his staff, the symbol of office; the mitre is the head-dress 
which indicates his office. 

5 Morion: A kind of open helmet. 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 397 

crossed in token of the warrior's having been engaged in the 
holy war. It was the tomb of a Crusader ; of one of those mili- 
tary enthusiasts who so strangely mingled religion and romance, 
and whose exploits form the connecting link between fact and 
fiction; between the history and the fairy tale. Ther is some- 
thing extremely picturesque in the tombs of these adventurers, 
decorated as they are with rude armorial bearings and Gothic 6 
sculpture. They comport with the antiquated chapels in which 
they are generally found ; and in considering them, the imagina- 
tion is apt to kindle with the legendary associations, the romantic 
fiction, the chivalrous pomp and pageantry, which poetry has 
spread over the wars for the sepulchre of Christ. They are the 
relics of times utterly gone by; of beings passed from recollec- 
tion; of customs and manners with which ours have no affinity. 
They are like objects from some strange and distant land, of 
which we have no certain knowledge, and about which all our 
conceptions are vague and visionary. There is something ex- 
tremely solemn and awful in those effigies on Gothic tombs, ex- 
tended as if in the sleep of death, or in the supplication of the 
dying hour. They have an effect infinitely more impressive on 
my feelings than the fanciful attitudes, the over-wrought con- 
ceits, and allegorical groups, which abound on modern monu- 
ments. I have been struck, also, with the superiority of many 
of the old sepulchral inscriptions. There was a noble way, in 
former times, of saying things simply, and yet saying them 
proudly; and I do not know an epitaph that breathes a loftier 
consciousness of family worth and honorable lineage than one 
which affirms, of a noble house, that " all the brothers were brave, 
and all the sisters virtuous. " 

10. In the opposite transept to Poets' Corner stands a monu- 
ment which is among the most renowned achievements of modern 
art; but which to me appears horrible rather than sublime. It 
is the tomb of Mrs. Nightingale, by Roubillac. The bottom of 
the monument is represented as throwing open its marble doors, 
and a sheeted skeleton is starting forth. The shroud is falling 
from his fleshless frame as he launches his dart at his victim. 

6 Gothic: See note in paragraph 1 of " Christmas." 



39 8 WESTMINSTER ABBEY 

She is sinking into her affrighted husband's arms, who strives, 
with vain and frantic effort, to avert the blow. The whole is 
executed with terrible truth and spirit ; we almost fancy we hear 
the gibbering yell of triumph bursting from the distended jaws 
of the spectre. — But why should we thus seek to clothe death 
with unnecessary terrors, and to spread horrors round the tomb 
of those we love? The grave should be surrounded by every- 
thing that might inspire tenderness and veneration for the dead ; 
or that might win the living to virtue. It is the place, not of 
disgust and dismay, but of sorrow and meditation. 

ii. While wandering about these gloomy vaults and silent 
aisles, studying the records of the dead, the sound of busy ex- 
istence from without occasionally reaches the ear ; — the rum- 
bling of the passing equipage ; the murmur of the multitude ; or 
perhaps the light laugh of pleasure. The contrast is striking 
with the deathlike repose around: and it has a strange effect 
upon the feelings, thus to hear the surges of active life hurrying 
along, and beating against the very walls of the sepulchre. 

12. I continued in this way to move from tomb to tomb, and 
from chapel to chapel. The day was gradually wearing away ; 
the distant tread of loiterers about the abbey grew less and less 
frequent; the sweet-tongued bell was summoning to evening 
prayers; and I saw at a distance the choristers, in their white 
surplices, crossing the aisle and entering the choir. I stood 
before the entrance to Henry the Seventh's chapel. A flight of 
steps lead up to it, through a deep and gloomy, but magnificent 
arch. Great gates of brass, richly and delicately wrought, turn 
heavily upon their hinges, as if proudly reluctant to admit the feet 
of common mortals into this most gorgeous of sepulchres. 

13. On entering, the eye is astonished by the pomp of archi- 
tecture, and the elaborate beauty of sculptured detail. The very 
walls are wrought into universal ornament, incrusted with 
tracery, and scooped into niches, crowded with the statues of 
saints and martyrs. Stone seems, by the cunning labor of the 
chisel, to have been robbed of its weight and density, suspended 
aloft, as if by magic, and the fretted roof achieved with the 
wonderful minuteness and airy security of a cobweb. 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 399 

14. Along the sides of the chapel are the lofty stalls of the 
Knights of the Bath, 7 richly carved of oak, though with the 
grotesque decorations of Gothic architecture. On the pinnacles 
of the stalls are affixed the helmets and crests of the knights, with 
their scarfs and swords; and above them are suspended their 
banners, emblazoned with armorial bearings, and contrasting 
the splendor of gold and purple and crimson with the cold gray 
fretwork of the roof. In the midst of this grand mausoleum 
stands the sepulchre of its founder, — his effigy, with that of his 
queen, extended on a sumptuous tomb, and the whole surrounded 
by a superbly wrought brazen railing. 

15. There is a sad dreariness in this magnificence; this strange 
mixture of tombs and trophies ; these emblems of living and 
aspiring ambition, close beside mementos which show the dust 
a,nd oblivion in which all must sooner or later terminate. Noth- 
ing impresses the mind with a deeper feeling of loneliness than 
to tread the silent and deserted scene of former throng and 
pageant. On looking round on the vacant stalls of the knights 
and their esquires, and on the rows of dusty but gorgeous ban- 
ners that were once borne before them, my imagination conjured 
up the scene when this hall was bright with the valor and beauty 
of the land; glittering with the splendor of jewelled rank and 
military array ; alive with the tread of many feet and the hum of 
an admiring multitude. All had passed away; the silence of 
death had settled again upon the place, interrupted only by the 
casual chirping of birds, which had found their way into the 
chapel, and built their nests among its friezes and pendants — 
sure signs of solitariness and desertion. 

16. When I read the names inscribed on the banners, they 
were those of men scattered far and wide about the world ; some 
tossing upon distant seas; some under arms in distant lands; 
some mingling in the busy intrigues of courts and cabinets; all 
seeking to deserve one more distinction in this mansion of 
shadowy honors: the melancholy reward of a monument. 

7 Knights of the Bath: An order instituted by Henry IV in 1399, 
and reorganized by George I in 1725. One of the rites in the cere- 
mony of awarding the honor was a bath to free from former stain 
the one on whom it was conferred. 



400 WESTMINSTER ABBEY 

17. Two small aisles on each side of this chapel present a 
touching instance of the equality of the grave, which brings 
clown the oppressor to a level with the oppressed, and mingles 
the dust of the bitterest enemies together. In one is the sepul- 
chre of the haughty Elizabeth; in the other is that of her 
victim, the lovely and unfortunate Mary. 8 Not an hour in the 
day but some ejaculation of pity is uttered over the fate of the 
latter, mingled with indignation at her oppressor. The walls of 
Elizabeth's sepulchre continually echo with the sighs of sym- 
pathy heaved at the grave of her rival. 

18. A peculiar melancholy reigns over the aisle where Mary 
lies buried. The light struggles dimly through windows dark- 
ened by dust. The greater part of the place is in deep shadow, 
and the walls are stained and tinted by time and weather. A 
marble figure of Mary is stretched upon the tomb, round which 
is an iron railing, much corroded, bearing her national emblem 
— the thistle. I was weary with wandering, and sat down to 
rest myself by the monument, revolving in my mind the check- 
ered and disastrous story of poor Mary. 

19. The sound of casual footsteps had ceased from the abbey. 
I could only hear, now and then, the distant voice of the priest 
repeating the evening service, and the faint responses of the 
choir ; these paused for a time, and all was hushed. The still- 
ness, the desertion and obscurity that were gradually prevailing 
around, gave a deeper and more solemn interest to the place. 

For in the silent grave no conversation, 

No joyful tread of friends, no voice of lovers, 

No careful father's counsel — nothing's heard, 

For nothing is, but all oblivion, 

Dust, and an endless darkness. 

20. Suddenly the notes of the deep-laboring organ burst upon 
the ear, falling with doubled and redoubled intensity, and roll- 
ing, as it were, huge billows of sound. How well do their 
volume and grandeur accord with this mighty building! With 

8 Elizabeth . . . Mary: Elizabeth, jealous of her beautiful rival, 
Mary Queen of Scots, had her beheaded. 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 401 

what pomp do they swell through its vast vaults, and breathe 
their awful harmony through these caves of death, and make 
the silent sepulchre vocal ! — And now they rise in triumph and 
acclamation, heaving higher and higher their accordant notes, 
and piling sound on sound. — And now they pause, and the soft 
voices of the choir break out into sweet gushes of melody ; they 
soar aloft, and warble along the roof, and seem to play about 
these lofty vaults like the pure airs of heaven. Again the peal- 
ing organ heaves its thrilling thunders, compressing air into 
music, and rolling it forth upon the soul. What long-drawn 
cadences ! What solemn sweeping concords ! It grows more 
and more dense and powerful — it fills the vast pile, and seems to 
jar the very walls — the ear is stunned — the senses are over- 
whelmed. And now it is winding up in full jubilee — it is ris- 
ing from the earth to heaven — the very soul seems rapt away 
and floated upwards on this swelling tide of harmony ! 

2L I sat for some time lost in that kind of reverie which 
a strain of music is apt sometimes to inspire: the shadows of 
evening were gradually thickening round me; the monuments 
began to cast deeper and deeper gloom: and the distant clock 
again gave token of the slowly waning day. 

22. I rose and prepared to leave the abbey. As I descended 
the flight of steps which led into the body of the building, my 
eye was caught by the shrine of Edward the Confessor, 9 and 
I ascended the small staircase that conducts to it, to take from 
thence a general survey of this wilderness of tombs. The shrine 
is elevated upon a kind of platform, and close around it are the 
sepulchres of various kings and queens. From this eminence the 
eye looks down between pillars and funeral trophies to the 
chapels and chambers below, crowded with tombs, — where war- 
riors, prelates, courtiers, and statesmen lie mouldering in their 
" beds of darkness/' Close by me stood the great chair of cor- 
onation, rudely carved of oak, in the barbarous taste of a remote 
and Gothic age. The scene seemed almost as if contrived, with 
theatrical artifice, to produce an effect upon the beholder. Here 

* Edward the Confessor: King of England (1042-1066). 
Founded Westminster Abbey in 1065. 



402 WESTMINSTER ABBEY 

was a type of the beginning and the end of human pomp and 
power; here it was literally but a step from the throne to the 
sepulchre. Would not one think that these incongruous me- 
mentos had been gathered together as a lesson to living greatness ? 
— to show it, even in the moment of its proudest exaltation, the 
neglect and dishonor to which it must soon arrive ; how soon that 
crown which encircles its brow must pass away, and it must lie 
down in the dust and disgraces of the tomb, and be trampled 
upon by the feet of the meanest of the multitude. For, strange 
to tell, even the grave is here no longer a sanctuary. There is 
a shocking levity in some natures, which leads them to sport 
with awful and hallowed things ; and there are base minds, which 
delight to revenge on the illustrious dead the abject homage and 
grovelling servility which they pay to the living. The coffin 
of Edward the Confessor has been broken open, and his remains 
despoiled of their funereal ornaments; the sceptre has been 
stolen irom the hand of the imperious Elizabeth, and the effigy 
of Henry the Fifth lies headless. Not a royal monument but 
bears some proof how false and fugitive is the homage of man- 
kind. Some are plundered ; some mutilated ; some covered with 
ribaldry and insult, — all more or less outraged and dishonored ! 

23. The last beams of day were now faintly streaming through 
the painted windows in high vaults above me; the lower parts 
of the abbey were already wrapped in the obscurity of twilight. 
The chapels and aisles grew darker and darker. The effigies of 
the kings faded into shadows; the marble figures of the monu- 
ments assumed strange shapes in the uncertain light; the eve- 
ning breeze crept through the aisles like the cold breath of the 
grave; and even the distant footfall of a verger, traversing the 
Poets' Corner, had something strange and dreary in its sound. 
I slowly retraced my morning's walk, and as I passed out at the 
portal of the cloisters, the door, closing with a jarring noise be- 
hind me, filled the whole building with echoes. 

24. I endeavored to form some arrangement in my mind of the 
objects I had been contemplating but found they were already 
fallen into indistinctness and confusion. Names, inscriptions, 
trophies, had all become confounded in my recollection, though 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 403 

I had scarcely taken my foot from off the threshold. What, 
thought I, is this vast assemblage of sepulchres but a treasury 
of humiliation; a huge pile of reiterated homilies on the empti- 
ness of renown, and the certainty of oblivion ! It is, indeed, the 
empire of death — his great shadowy palace, where he sits in 
state, mocking at the relics of human glory, and spreading dust 
and forgetfulness on the monuments of princes. How idle a 
boast, after all, is the immortality of a name. Time is ever 
silently turning over his pages ; we are too much engrossed by the 
story of the present, to think of the characters and anecdotes 
that gave interest to the past; and each age is a volume thrown 
aside to be speedily forgotten. The idol of to-day pushes the 
hero of yesterday out of our recollection; and will, in turn, be 
supplanted by his successor of to-morrow. " Our fathers," says 
Sir Thomas Browne, 10 " find their graves in our short mem- 
ories, and sadly tell us how we may be buried in our survivors." 
History fades into fable; fact becomes clouded with doubt and 
controversy; the inscription moulders from the tablet; the 
statue falls from the pedestal. Columns, arches, pyramids, what 
are they but heaps of sand ; and their epitaphs, but characters 
written in the dust? What is the security of a tomb, or the 
perpetuity of an embalmment? The remains of Alexander the 
Great have been scattered to the wind, and his empty sarcopha- 
gus is now the mere curiosity of a museum. " The Egyptian 
mummies, which Cambyses or time hath spared, avarice now 
consumeth ; Mizraim cures wounds, and Pharaoh is sold for , 
balsams." 

25. What then is to insure this pile which now towers above 
me from sharing the fate of mightier mausoleums? The time 
must come when its gilded vaults, which now spring so loftily, 
shall lie in rubbish beneath the feet ; when, instead of the sound 
of melody and praise, the wind shall whistle through the broken 
arches, and the owl hoot from the shattered tower, — when the 
garish sunbeam shall break into these gloomy mansions of death, 
and the ivy twine round the fallen column ; and the foxglove hang 

10 Sir Thomas Browne: An English physician and author of the 
seventeenth century. The quotation is from Urn Burial. 



4-04 WESTMINSTER ABBEY 

its blossoms about the nameless urn, as if in mockery of the 
dead. Thus man passes away; his name perishes from record 
and recollection ; his history is as a tale that is told, and his very 
monument becomes a ruin. 

WESTMINSTER ABBEY 
Class Discussion 

Look through the essay and pick out five of the chief 
things that the author observed in Westminster Abbey. 
In what part of the Abbey does he dwell longest? Can 
you give a reason why he was especially interested in this 
part? Make a list of prominent characters of history 
mentioned in the essay. Why did the visitor pity Mary, 
and why was he indignant with Elizabeth (paragraph 17) ? 
Who was Edward the Confessor? Discuss the character of 
a crusader (paragraph 9). 

How does the essay affect your spirits ? What " pretty " 
descriptions can you find? 

What facts concerning the history of the Abbey do you 
learn? What purpose does it now serve? Give the gen- 
eral impression of the place that you get from reading the 
essay. 

Write a letter to a friend describing the Abbey. 



XI 

DESCRIPTION 

Description an Aid to Narrative. A description is a 
word picture of some person, place, or thing. Description 
is classed as a separate form of discourse, but, as a matter 
of fact, few whole compositions are written for the sole 
purpose of drawing a word picture. It is often used to give 
the reader a clearer understanding of an argument or an 
exposition, but its chief use is to make narrative more vivid 
to the reader. 

The Length. From its very nature, a description is sel- 
dom successful if carried to great length. Often a sentence, 
inserted in a narrative or explanatory paragraph, is all the 
description that an author finds necessary. Frequently, how- 
ever, an author turns aside from the explanation or from 
the story he is telling to give a whole paragraph to a de- 
scription. Few descriptions are longer than one paragraph. 
The themes demanded of you in this chapter will be short, 
and, in most cases, will cover only a paragraph. 

Exercises, i. As an example of how description may 
become an aid to narrative, turn to " Rip Van Winkle," and 
find the point where the story actually begins. What is the 
purpose of the first two paragraphs? What is the pur- 
pose of paragraphs 3 to 9? Is the story any better for 
having these paragraphs? 

2. What does paragraph 1 in " The Legend of Sleepy 
Hollow " describe ? What is described in paragraphs 8, 9, 
20, 21, and 24? 

405 



406 DESCRIPTION 

3. Is it necessary to describe the Great Stone Face in 
one of the first paragraphs? Does the author do this? If 
so, indicate the place. 

General Directions for Description. It is evident, then, 
that to draw a good word picture, you must see in your 
mind's eye the object you wish to describe. Do not under- 
take to describe anything until you have observed all the 
prominent features of it. 

It is not necessary to note all the details, but you must be 
familiar with the chief points of interest, and especially 
with those that make the subject of your description differ- 
ent from similar things. It is also a good idea to compare 
or contrast the details you mention with those of some object 
familiar to the reader. 

Be careful to tell the reader the point of view from 
which you are looking at the thing you are describing, and 
be still more careful to describe only the details you can 
see from this particular point of view. For instance, if 
you are describing a farmhouse from a distance, it will be 
impossible for you to describe the kind of furniture and 
the color of the wall paper, because you are unable to see 
them from this position. 

DESCRIPTION OF BUILDINGS 

Point of View. In describing a building the point of 
view must by all means be considered. Do you wish, for 
instance, to describe both the interior and the exterior of a 
house? If so, indicate to the reader when you have changed 
your point of view. The best plan to follow is to put your 
description into the form of a personal story, and, as you 
move from place to place, keep the reader informed of your 
movements. Tell what you are able to see from each suc- 
cessive position. 



DESCRIPTION 407 

Order of Arrangement. In the description of a building 
the chief points of interest are usually mentioned in the fol- 
lowing order: 

1. Location 

2. Size 

3. Material 

4. Color 

5. Walls 

6. Doors and windows 

7. Peculiarities. 

You will find many descriptions that do not follow the 
above order. Some of the details are often left out. . Interest 
should determine whether a detail deserves a place in the 
word picture. For instance, if the walls of a house you 
have in mind are in ruins, this fact is important enough 
to mention, and if the windows have diamond-shaped panes, 
this might also be noted. If there are other details that 
are especially interesting or unusual, let them also be in- 
cluded. 

Exercises. 1. Read the description of Van Tassel's house 
in " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Note the place where 
the author changes his point of view to describe the interior. 
He looks at the house through Ichabod's eyes. 

2. In like manner review the description of Gathergold's 
house in " The Great Stone Face." 

3. Read the description of Ichabod's schoolhouse. Take 
note of the points of interest that the author mentions, such 
as the size, shape, etc. (page 41, paragraph 9). 

4. Read " Westminster Abbey " again hastily. This is a 
lengthy description. The author tells the things he sees as 
he walks through the building. This is an excellent plan to 
use when the writer has to change his point of view fre- 
quently. 



408 DESCRIPTION 

Theme I. Describe a country church or schoolhouse that 
you have often seen. Refer to Exercise 2 for your model. 

Theme II. Write a description entitled " My Return 
Home/' in which you picture your own home as it appeared 
after a long absence. Note any changes that may have 
taken place in the buildings or surroundings. Make use 
of any suggestion that may occur to you after reading Ex- 
ercise 1. 

Theme III. Write a description entitled, " A Glimpse 
of the Outside/' in which you describe things out-of-doors 
as you observe them on walking out after a long illness. 

DESCRIPTION OF PERSONS 

Outline. In describing a person there are several points 
that should usually be considered. These are generally men- 
tioned in the following order: 

1. Size and height 

2. Features; 

a. eyes, nose, mouth, etc. 

b. hair or beard 

c. complexion 

3. Dress 

4. Manners 

5. Character. 

A thorough description should bring out all these points. 
Often, however, one or two very marked characteristics may 
serve to give a fairly accurate picture of a person. 

Exercises. 1. Read the description of the Dutchman, 
paragraph 17, page 8. The information in the first two 
sentences of this paragraph is all that Irving sees fit to give, 
yet the picture is clear enough. His peculiar dress is the 
interesting point. 

2. Read the description of Ichabod, paragraph 8, page 40. 
This description is much more in detail than that of the 



DESCRIPTION 409 

Dutchman. Make a list of the points mentioned and ar- 
range them in order like the above outline. 

3. Read the description of the parson, paragraph 15, page 

175. 

4. Read the description of Mr. Gathergold, paragraph 11, 

page 296. 

Character Description. Character is often portrayed by 
calling attention to the physical features that seem to indi- 
cate it. From the description of Ichabod's outward ap- 
pearance you get the impression of his character which the 
author would have you get. Expressions such as firm 
mouth, weak chin, strong jaw, clear eye, slouching walk, 
all indicate the character of the person described. This 
method is good whenever it is possible to use it, but there 
are certain traits of character that are not evident from any 
outward signs. This sentence is an example: 

He was a simple, good-natured man; he was, more- 
over, a kind neighbor and an obedient, hen-pecked hus- 
band. 

In many cases, a sentence such as the one just given is 
all that is needed to sum up the character of a person, but 
it is best always to try to bring out as many traits of char- 
acter as possible. 

Theme IV. Taking Rip as your model, describe a town 
loafer, a tramp, or some other unusual person in your town. 
Select a person you know well. 

Theme V. Taking Marygold as your model, describe a 
girl of your acquaintance. 

Theme VI. Describe an old man whom you know well. 
In your description bring out the points that make him dif- 
ferent from other old men. 



410 DESCRIPTION 



DESCRIPTION OF ANIMALS 



You need hardly be reminded that to describe animals 
well you must observe them carefully. Their habits as 
well as their physical make-up have to be taken into con- 
sideration. To describe even one of the best known ani- 
mals requires the most careful observation. 

Exercises. I. Read the description of Gunpowder, 
paragraph 34, page 54. Every one is convinced that this 
description is good because Irving calls attention to certain 
well-known habits of horses. We ourselves have seen 
horses like Gunpowder. 

2. Read the description of the cock, paragraph 21, page 
47. Note how true to life the description is. 

3. Read the description of Wolf, paragraph 9, page 5. 

4. Read the description of the barn-yard, paragraph 21, 
page 47. Observe that it takes only one or two well-chosen 
words to picture each animal. 

Theme VII. Write a theme entitled " The Barn-yard on 
a Rainy Day." Describe the horse, the cows, and the 
chickens as they appear in rainy weather. Refer to para- 
graph 21, page 47 for suggestions. 

Theme VIII. In a somewhat similar manner prepare a 
theme on " The Barn-yard on a Cold Morning." 

Theme IX. Write a " Lost, strayed or stolen " advertise- 
ment, describing a horse, cow, or dog that is supposed to 
have disappeared. Describe an animal known both to you 
and your class-mates. See if you can make them recognize 
the animal from your description. 

DESCRIPTION OF OBJECTS 

Directions. Frequently you have occasion to describe cer- 
tain objects for the purpose of identifying them or of in- 
forming another person concerning them. It is not as easy 



DESCRIPTION 411 

to do this as one might think. To make a clear description 
of even a familiar object requires no little attention and skill. 
In a task of this kind, bear in mind two points: (1) Be 
sure to mention prominent characteristics or markings that 
distinguish the object you are describing from other things 
of the same class. (2) Make use of comparison if the ob- 
ject is unfamiliar. Show how it is similar to something with 
which the reader is familiar. 

Exercises. 1. Read the description of Rip's gun, para- 
graph 2$ y page 10. 

2. Read the description of the gateway, paragraph 2, 
page 154. 

3. Read the description of the Great Stone Face, para- 
graph 3, page 291. 

Theme X. Describe a muzzle-loading shot-gun. Com- 
pare it with a modern breech-loader. 

Theme XI. Describe a purse that you are supposed to 
have lost, so that any one finding it would know that it is 
yours. 

Theme XII. In like manner describe a knife or a key- 
ring. 

Theme XIII. Describe the Christmas present you liked 
best. 



XII 
DAVID SWAN 1 

A FANTASY 

i. We can be but partially acquainted even with the events 
which actually influence our course through life, and our final 
destiny. There are innumerable other events, if such they may 
be called, which come close upon us, yet pass away without 
actual results, or even betraying their near approach by the 
reflection of any light or shadow across our minds. Could we 
know all the vicissitudes of our fortunes, life would be too full 
of hope and fear, exultation or disappointment, to afford us a 
single hour of true serenity. This idea may be illustrated by 
a page from the secret history of David Swan. 

2. We have nothing to do with David until we find him, at 
the age of twenty, on the highroad from his native place to the 
city of Boston, where his uncle, a small dealer in the grocery 
line, was to take him behind the counter. Be it enough to say, 
that he was a native of New Hampshire, born of respectable 
parents, and had received an ordinary school education, with a 
classic finish by a year at Gilmanton Academy. After journey- 
ing on foot from sunrise till nearly noon of a summer's day, his 
weariness and the increasing heat determined him to sit down in 
the first convenient shade and await the coming up of the stage- 
coach. As if planted on purpose for him, there soon appeared 
a little tuft of maples, with a delightful recess in the midst, and 

[Printed by permission of the authorized publishers, Houghton, 
Mifflin and Company.] 

1 First printed in The Boston Token of 1837 and later included 
among the Twice Told Tales. 

412 



DAVID SWAN 413 

such a fresh bubbling spring, that it seemed never to have 
sparkled for any wayfarer but David Swan. Virgin or not, he 
kissed it with his thirsty lips, and then flung himself along the 
brink, pillowing his head upon some shirts and a pair of panta- 
loons, tied up in a striped cotton handkerchief. The sunbeams 
could not reach him; the dust did not yet rise from the road, 
after the heavy rain of yesterday ; and his grassy lair suited the 
young man better than a bed of down. The spring murmured 
drowsily beside him; the branches waved dreamily across the 
blue sky overhead; and a deep sleep, perchance hiding dreams 
within its depths, fell upon David Swan. But we are to relate 
events which he did not dream of. 

3. While he lay sound asleep in the shade, other people were 
wide awake, and passed to and fro, afoot, on horseback, and in 
all sorts of vehicles, along the sunny road by his bedchamber. 
Some looked neither to the right hand nor the left, and knew not 
that he was there; some merely glanced that way, without ad- 
mitting the slumberer among their busy thoughts ; some laughed 
to see how soundly he slept; and several, whose hearts were 
brimming full of scorn, ejected their venomous superfluity on 
David Swan. A middle-aged widow, when nobody else was 
near, thrust her head a little way into the recess, and vowed that 
the young fellow looked charming in his sleep. A temperance 
lecturer saw him, and wrought poor David into the texture of 
his evening's discourse, as an awful instance of dead-drunken- 
ness by the roadside. But censure, praise, merriment, scorn, 
and indifference were all one, or rather all nothing, to David 
Swan. 

4. He had slept only a few moments when a brown carriage, 
drawn by a handsome pair of horses, bowled easily along, and 
was brought to a standstill nearly in front of David's resting 
place. A linchpin had fallen out, and permitted one of the 
wheels to slide off. The damage was slight, and occasioned 
merely a momentary alarm to an elderly merchant and his wife, 
who were returning to Boston in the carriage. While the 
coachman and a servant were replacing the wheel, the lady and 
gentleman sheltered themselves beneath the maple-trees, and 



4H DAVID SWAN 

there espied the bubbling fountain, and David Swan asleep 
beside it. Impressed with the awe which the humblest sleeper 
usually sheds around him, the merchant trod as lightly as the 
gout would allow; and his spouse took good heed not to rustle 
her silk gown, lest David should start up, all of a sudden. 

5. " How soundly he sleeps ! " whispered the old gentleman. 
" From what a depth he draws that easy breath ! Such sleep as 
that, brought on without an opiate, would be worth more to me 
than half my income, for it would suppose health and an un- 
troubled mind." 

6. " And youth besides," said the lady. " Healthy and quiet 
age does not sleep thus. Our slumber is no more like his than 
our wakefulness. " 

7. The longer they looked, the more did this elderly couple 
feel interested in the unknown youth, to whom the wayside and 
the maple shade were as a secret chamber, with the rich gloom 
of damask curtains brooding over him. Perceiving that a stray 
sunbeam glimmered down upon his face, the lady contrived to 
twist a branch aside so as to intercept it. And having done this 
little act of kindness, she began to feel like a mother to him. 

8. " Providence seems to have laid him here," whispered she 
to her husband, " and to have brought us hither to find him, after 
our disappointment in our cousin's son. Methinks I can see a 
likeness to our departed Henry. Shall we waken him ? " 

9. " To what purpose ? " said the merchant, hesitating. " We 
know nothing of the youth's character." 

10. " That open countenance ! " replied his wife, in the same 
hushed voice, yet earnestly. " This innocent sleep ! " 

11. While these whispers were passing, the sleeper's heart 
did not throb, nor his breath become agitated, nor his features 
betray the least token of interest. Yet Fortune was bending 
over him, just ready to let fall a burden of gold. The old mer- 
chant had lost his only son, and had no heir to his wealth, ex- 
cept a distant relative, with whose conduct he was dissatisfied. 
In such cases people sometimes do stranger things than to act 
the magician, and awaken a young man to splendor who fell 
asleep in poverty. 



DAVID SWAN 415 

12. "Shall we not waken him?" repeated the lady persua- 
sively. 

13. " The coach is ready, sir," said the servant, behind. 

14. The old couple started, reddened, and hurried away, mutu- 
ally wondering that they should ever have dreamed of doing 
anything so very ridiculous. The merchant threw himseif back 
in the carriage, and occupied his mind with the plan of a magni- 
ficent asylum for unfortunate men of business. Meanwhile 
David Swan enjoyed his nap. 

15. The carriage could not have gone above a mile or two, 
when a pretty young girl came along with a tripping pace, which 
showed precisely how her little heart was dancing in her bosom. 
She turned aside into the shelter of the maple-trees, and there 
found a young man asleep by the spring ! Blushing as red as 
any rose, that she should have intruded into a gentleman's bed- 
chamber, she was about to make her escape on tiptoe. But 
there was peril near the sleeper. A monster of a bee had been 
wandering overhead — buzz, buzz, buzz — now among the leaves, 
now flashing through the strips of sunshine, and now lost in the 
dark shade, till finally he appeared to be settling on the eyelid 
of David Swan. The sting of a bee is sometimes deadly. As 
free-hearted as she was innocent, the girl attacked the intruder 
with her handkerchief, brushed him soundly, and drove him from 
beneath the maple shade. How sweet a picture ! This good 
deed accomplished, with quickened breath, and a deeper blush, 
she stole a glance at the youthful stranger for whom she had 
been battling with a dragon in the air. 

16. " He is handsome ! " thought she, and blushed redder 
yet. 

17. How could it be that no dream of bliss grew so strong 
within him, that, shattered by its very strength, it should part 
asunder, and allow him to perceive the girl among its phantoms ? 
Why, at least, did no smile of welcome brighten upon his face ? 
She was come, the maid whose soul, according to the old and 
beautiful idea, had been severed from his own, and whom, in all 
his vague but passionate desires, he yearned to meet. Her only 
could he love with a perfect love — him only could she receive 



416 DAVID SWAN 

into the depths of her heart — and now her image was faintly 
blushing in the fountain, by his side; should it pass away, its 
happy luster would never gleam upon his life again. 

18. " How sound he sleeps ! " murmured the girl. 

19. She departed, but did not trip along the road so lightly as 
when she came. 

20. Now, this girl's father was a thriving country merchant in 
the neighborhood, and happened, at that identical time, to be 
looking out for just such a young man as David Swan. Had 
David formed a wayside acquaintance with the daughter, he 
would have become the father's clerk, and all else in natural 
succession. So here, again, had Good Fortune — the best of 
fortunes — stolen so near that her garments brushed against 
him ; and he knew nothing of the matter. 

21. The girl was hardly out of sight when two men turned 
aside beneath the maple shade. Both had dark faces, set off by 
cloth caps, which were drawn down aslant over their brows. 
Their dresses were shabby, yet had a certain smartness. These 
were a couple of rascals, who got their living by whatever the 
devil sent them, and now, in the interim of other business, had 
staked the joint profits of their next piece of villainy on a game 
of cards, which was to have been decided here under the trees. 
But finding David asleep by the spring, one of the rogues whis- 
pered to his fellow : 

22. " Hist ! Do you see that bundle under his head? " 

23. The other villain nodded, winked, and leered. 

24. " I'll bet you a horn of brandy," said the first, " that the 
chap has either a pocketbook or a snug little hoard of small 
change stowed away amongst his shirts. And if not there, we 
shall find it in his pantaloons' pocket." 

25. " But how if he wakes ? " said the other. 

26. His companion thrust aside his waistcoat, pointed to the 
handle of a dirk, and nodded. 

27. " So be it ! " muttered the second villain. 

28. They approached the unconscious David, and, while one 
pointed the dagger towards his heart, the other began to search 
the bundle beneath his head. Their two faces, grim, wrinkled, 



DAVID SWAN 417 

and ghastly with guilt and fear, bent over their victim, looking 
horribly enough to be mistaken for fiends, should he suddenly 
awake. Nay, had the villains glanced aside into the spring, 
even they would hardly have known themselves, as reflected 
there. But David Swan had never worn a more tranqui! as- 
pect, even when asleep on his mother's breast. 

29. " I must take away the bundle," whispered one. 

30. " If he stirs, I'll strike," muttered the other. 

31. But, at this moment, a dog, scenting along the ground, 
came in beneath the maple trees, and gazed alternately at each 
of these wicked men, and then at the quiet sleeper. He then 
lapped out of the fountain. 

32. " Pshaw ! " said one villain. " We can do nothing now. 
The dog's master must be close behind." 

33. " Let's take a drink and be off," said the other. 

34. The man with the dagger thrust back the weapon into 
his bosom and drew forth a pocket-pistol, but not of that kind 
which kills by a single discharge. It was a flask of liquor with 
a block-tin tumbler screwed upon the mouth. Each drank a 
comfortable dram, and left the spot with so many jests and such 
laughter at their unaccomplished wickedness that they might be 
said to have gone on their way rejoicing. 

35. In a few hours they had forgotten the whole affair, nor 
once imagined that the recording angel had written down the 
crime of murder against their souls, in letters as durable as 
eternity. As for David Swan, he still slept quietly, neither con- 
scious of the shadow of death when it hung over him, nor of the 
glow of renewed life when that shadow was withdrawn. 

36. He slept, but no longer so quietly as at first. An hour's 
repose had snatched from his elastic frame the weariness with 
which many hours of toil had burdened it. Now he stirred — 
now moved his lips, without a sound — now talked in an inward 
tone to the noonday specters of his dream. But a noise of wheels 
came rattling louder and louder along the road, until it dashed 
through the dispersing mist of David's slumber — and there was 
the stage-coach. He started up, with all his ideas about him. 

27. " Halloo, driver ! — take a passenger ? " shouted he. 



41 8 DAVID SWAN 

38. " Room on top ! " answered the driver. 

39. Up mounted David, and bowled away merrily towards 
Boston, without so much as a parting glance at the fountain of 
dreamlike vicissitude. He knew not that a phantom of Wealth 
had thrown a golden hue upon its waters — nor that one of Love 
had sighed softly to their murmur — nor that one of Death had 
threatened to crimson them with his blood — all in the brief hour 
since he lay down to sleep. Sleeping or waking, we hear not the 
airy footsteps of the strange things that almost happen. Does 
it not argue a superintending Providence, that, while viewless 
and unexpected events thrust themselves continually athwart 
our path, there should still be regularity enough in mortal life 
to render foresight even partially available? 

DAVID SWAN 
Class Discussion 

Have you ever seen a stage coach? If so, describe it 
orally to the class? In what part of this country were they 
last used? 

Notice how the sleeping figure of David suggests char- 
acteristically different thoughts to the widow and to the tem- 
perance lecturer. What thoughts would have been sug- 
gested to a doctor if he had seen him? What would a small 
child have thought ? An old man ? 

Write a composition telling what would have happened if 
the elderly couple had waked David. Write a composition 
telling what would have happened if David had met the 
young girl. Can you imagine any other incidents that might 
have befallen David? 

Hawthorne states the moral of his story in the first and 
last paragraphs. Restate it in your own words. Can you 
give from your own experience an instance in which, through 
chance, you either missed or gained good fortune? 



XIII 

EXPOSITION 

Definition. Exposition means about the same thing as 
explanation. Its purpose is to instruct the reader. Usually 
it gives information that may be classified under one of the 
following heads : 

1. How a certain thing is done 

2. Why it is done 

3. Why it is true 

4. Its meaning 

5. Its use. 

An exposition may be of any length. It may consist of 
only a word or a sentence, or it may fill an entire volume. 
Its length depends upon the breadth of the subject. Your 
answer to a question asked by your teacher is an exposition. 
The meaning of a word in the dictionary is an exposition. 
A whole text-book on grammar or geography is an exposi- 
tion. 

It Differs from Narrative. Narrative deals with a par- 
ticular series of events. If events are recited in exposition 
they are used to explain a general method of doing things. 
For instance, a theme on the subject, " The Duties of the 
First-baseman," which outlines the duties of any man who 
plays that position on a baseball team, would be an exposi- 
tion. On the other hand, a theme on the subject, " How 
First-baseman Thorpe Won the Game," which narrates the 
actions of a particular man on a particular occasion, would 
be a narrative. 

It Differs from Description. Exposition differs from 

419 



420 EXPOSITION 

description mainly with respect to purpose. There is a great 
deal of difference between a description of an automobile 
for the purpose of instructing a new driver, and a descrip- 
tion for the purpose of picturing the beauty of the machine. 
The former is given altogether for the purpose of explain- 
ing the various parts of the machine to one who does not 
know about them, and is, therefore, an exposition. 

General Directions for Preparing an Exposition 

I. Know Your Subject. Since the object of exposition is 
to give information, it is necessary to know your subject 
thoroughly before you undertake to instruct another. If 
well-informed on your subject, you will be sure to have 
enough to say about it. Confidence in your knowledge will 
also tend to render your style of writing natural and easy. 

II. Clearness. The very nature of exposition demands 
clearness of expression. Use words simple enough for the 
reader to understand and find the exact word to suit the 
sense. Often you suppose you have made a matter clear 
when you have not. Remember that the reader cannot look 
into your mind and see what you are trying to express. 

III. Use Examples. One of the simplest ways to explain 
a subject is to use an example with which the reader is 
familiar. A particular case is always more vivid than a 
general statement. 

IV. Comparison. Exposition nearly always deals with 
matters with which the reader is unfamiliar. But there is 
hardly an unfamiliar object or process that does not have 
some resemblance to a familiar one. Make use, then, of this 
advantage, and compare the unknown with the known in 
your explanations. 

The Explanatory Sentence 
An exposition may be a short explanation expressed in a 
single sentence. Most questions that the teacher asks may 



EXPOSITION 421 

be answered in one sentence. Acquire habits of clear ex- 
pression in making your replies. Be sure that every sen- 
tence you write or speak has both a subject and a predicate. 

Exercises. I. Define in a single sentence each of the fol- 
lowing words and phrases, using this model : 

. ' Model 

The wassail bowl was a large bowl containing a highly 
spiced drink made from the richest and raciest wines. 

" Christmas Eve " 

1. Superannuated spinster, paragraph 10, page 157. 

2. Yule clog, paragraph 12, page 158. 

3. Oxonian, paragraph 9, page 157. 
" Westminster Abbey " 

1. Cloisters, paragraph 2, page 393. 

2. Effigies, paragraph 4, page 394. 

3. Gothic, paragraph 9, page 397. 

4. Crusader, paragraph 9, page 397. 

5. Mausoleum, paragraph 14, page 399. 

6. Egyptian mummies, paragraph 24, page 403. 
" The Courtship of Miles Standish " 

1. Old Colony days, line 1. 

2. Puritan, line 4. 

3. Mayflower, line 20. 

4. Spindle, line 229. 

II. Define and give an example of each of the following 
words. Use two sentences. Be sure your examples are 
simple and familiar. 

Model 

An apparition is a ghost or spectre which appears suddenly 
before the eyes. The Headless Horseman was an appari- 
tion. 



422 EXPOSITION 

" The Spectre Bridegroom " 

i. Family feud, paragraph 2, page 86. 

2. Cavalier, paragraph 4, page 87. 

3. Drawbridge, paragraph 24, page 92. 

4. Cathedral, paragraph 39, page 95. 

5. Dilemma, paragraph 49, page 98. 
" The Great Stone Face " 

1. Titanic, paragraph 5, page 292. 

2. Cavalcade, paragraph 24, page 303. 

3. Prophecy, paragraph 34, page 309. 

4. Image, paragraph 35, page 309. 

The Explanatory Paragraph 

Used in Narrative and Argument. In narrative and in 
argument, as well as in exposition, the writer is often forced 
to use an explanatory paragraph to make perfectly clear 
some part of the whole composition. In fact, most exposi- 
tory paragraphs are found in the body of a longer composi- 
tion. 

Examples. 1. " Christmas/' paragraph 8, page 113. 

2. " Westminster Abbey," paragraph 9, page 396. 

3. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," paragraph 51, 
page 60. 

The Paragraph Theme. It sometimes happens that a 
subject can be completely developed in a single paragraph. 
Many of the shorter themes that you write can be com- 
pressed into a paragraph. A one-page theme is often best 
expressed in one paragraph. 

The Topic Sentence. There is usually one particular 
sentence in an explanatory paragraph which sums up the 
whole thought. This sentence is called the topic sentence. 
It is found most frequently at the beginning, as in paragraph 
8 of " Christmas." 



EXPOSITION 423 

Exercises. 1. Pick out the topic sentences in the para- 
graphs furnished as examples above. 

2. Select the topic sentence in each paragraph of " Christ- 
mas." If no sentence seems to sum up the paragraph, com- 
pose one for it. 

How to Develop a Paragraph Explanation 

I. Topic Followed by Details. Nearly all the para- 
graphs you have studied in the preceding exercises were 
developed by the statement of a topic followed by details of 
less importance. This is the most common method of de- 
velopment. 

Exercise. Copy down the topic sentences of all the para- 
graphs in " Christmas." Cross-mark those that are de- 
veloped by a statement followed by details. 

II. Explanation by Example. The simplest means of 
defining a word is by use of examples. This is, indeed, the 
simplest means of making the reader familiar with any un- 
known subject. When following this method of explana- 
tion, you should, of course, take care to use examples with 
which the reader is familiar. Suppose you wish to tell a 
friend how to use an encyclopedia. The proper way to do 
it would be to select several particular words as examples 
and show him how to secure information about these words. 

Theme I. Your classmate has trouble in preparing his 
history lessons. Explain to him your method of prepara- 
tion. Take the lesson for to-morrow as an example and 
outline your plan in detail. Write 200 words on the subject. 

Theme II. Write 300 words under the topic sentence, 
" Intoxicants are injurious to health." Give two instances 
of men who have ruined their health by drinking. 

Theme III. Write 300 words on " The Benefit of Good 
Roads to the Country." Show how one good road has bene- 
fited your community, or would benefit it. 



424 EXPOSITION 

Theme IV. Show that poultry raising is a paying occu- 
pation. State the amount of money it would take to start 
in business, the necessary equipment that must be provided, 
the number of fowls, the amount of time and attention to be 
devoted to the business. Get your facts from some success- 
ful poultry dealer. Use as an example the experience of 
some particular person. 

Theme V. Show how certain birds may be of advantage 
to the farmer. 

III. Explanation by Comparison. A comparison may be 
rather lengthy. It always involves setting one detail over 
against another. For instance, if you wish to compare an 
automobile with a motor-cycle, there are a number of points 
of likeness and unlikeness to which you may call attention. 
It is possible by a comparison of this kind to give a person 
who has seen only one of these machines, a fairly good idea 
of the other. 

Theme VI. Compare a repeating rifle with a breech- 
loading shot-gun. Mention first the points of likeness, then 
the points of unlikeness. 

Theme VII. Compare a row-boat with a motor-boat. 

Theme VIII. Compare a mowing machine with a lawn 
mower. 

Theme IX. Compare needle work with sewing on a ma- 
chine. 

Theme X. Compare a gas stove with a wood stove. 

Theme XI. Compare a duck with a goose; a turkey gob- 
bler with a rooster. 

Theme XII. Compare birds that the farmer should fear 
with those that he should protect. 

The Explanatory Composition 

The Material of the Theme. Before writing a word, you 
should inform yourself on the subject. What does it mean? 



EXPOSITION 425 

What is there to tell about it? You will often be required to 
write on a subject of which you know' almost nothing; and, 
of course, you cannot hope to make it clear to the reader, 
when it is dark or cloudy to you. Learn about it. 

Securing Information. There are several sources of in- 
formation. 

(1) You may find out about a subject by personal ob- 
servation. 

(2) You may ask some one who knows. 

(3) You may get your information from books. In col- 
lecting this information, read with a pencil in hand and jot 
down on paper every point that you are likely to have use 
for. This plan will prevent your forgetting any of the de- 
tails, will keep them before your eyes and always at your 
command. 

Encyclopedias and the current magazines are good sources 
of information. 

Exercise. Refer to the history you are studying and in- 
form yourself on each of the subjects listed in one of the fol- 
lowing groups. Take notes of the information you find. 
Select from your notes those facts that you think most impor- 
tant. Write first a statement that will clearly define the sub- 
ject. Second, under this general heading arrange in the most 
natural order the points you have selected. 
United States History 

1. The Emancipation Proclamation 

2. The Reconstruction Period 

3. The Alien and Sedition Laws 

4. The Stamp Act 

5. The Spoils System. 

English History Ancient History 

1. The Magna Charta 1. The Olympian Games 

2. The Restoration 2. The Delphian Oracle 

3. The Reformation 3. The Plebeians and Patricians 



426 EXPOSITION 

4. The Norman Conquest 4. The Gladiators 

5, The Great Reform Bill. 5. The Religion of the Romans 
Theme XIII. Discuss orally each of the subjects you 

have prepared. 

The Theme Sentence. Just as the gist of the explana- 
tory paragraph is summed up in the topic sentence, so the 
gist of the whole composition is summed up in the theme 
sentence. The reader, it may be supposed, is eager to learn 
what you intend to explain. The title, to be sure, ought to 
give him some idea of it ; but a title is necessarily too brief 
to give more than a general idea of the writer's purpose. 
Hence the first sentence should set forth clearly the purpose 
of the whole composition. 

To Cover the Whole Subject. The theme sentence 
should be broad enough to include all the main thoughts, but 
also brief and to the point. Even a large subject may be 
condensed into a short sentence. Thus, the whole subject 
of grammar is included in the definition : " Grammar is 
the classification and explanation of the forms of speech and 
writing. ,, 

Example. The first sentence in the second paragraph of 
" Christmas " is: "Of all the old festivals, however, that 
of Christmas awakens the strongest and most heartfelt asso- 
ciations. " If you will glance rapidly through the essay you 
will find that there is hardly a thought expressed that does 
not have some bearing upon the " heartfelt associations " of 
Christmas. This is the theme sentence. 

Exercise. Compose suitable theme sentences for themes 
on each of the following subjects : 

1. The Pleasures of Farm Life 

2. The Cultivation of Corn 

3. The Advantages of Reading the Newspapers 

4. Methods of Catching Fish 

5. The Habit of Saving 



EXPOSITION 427 

6. How to Make Ice Cream 

7. The Advantages of Playing Football 

8. The Care of Milk 

9. The Value of Peas to the Soil 
10. An Ideal Sidewalk. 

Selections of Points. In the preparation of a theme, 
various points are often suggested that have no bearing on 
the subject. Many trivial points come up. You will have 
to use good judgment to decide whether a point is of suffi- 
cient value to merit a place in your theme. Weigh each 
point separately and ask yourself, " Is it included in the 
theme sentence? Is it worth mentioning?" This is the 
test to apply in every case. 

Example. Under the theme sentence, " Football offers 
many advantages to both the player and the school," suppose 
the following points to be suggested : 

1. It develops the muscles 

2. It makes the player alert 

3. It advertises the school 

4. It is dangerous 

5. It arouses school spirit 

6. It furnishes amusement for the town people 

7. It encourages team-work. 

Now consider which of these to select for a theme to be 
written under the theme sentence above. It is evident that 
you must omit the fourth point, because the fact that the 
game is dangerous cannot be considered an advantage. The 
sixth must also be omitted because the theme sentence in- 
cludes only advantages to the school and player; it says 
nothing about advantages to the town. 

Development of Points. In shorter themes, such as are 
required in class work, a paragraph is usually sufficient for 
the development of a point. Hence you will have about as 
many paragraphs in your theme as you have points. 



4^8 EXPOSITION 

Each point should be fully developed. Let the simple 
statement of it be followed by some explanation. This ex- 
planation may consist of ( I ) the addition of several details, 
or (2) an example, or (3) a comparison. Points are de- 
veloped just as paragraphs are developed. 

Arrangement of Points. After you have selected the 
points, the next step is to arrange them in the theme accord- 
ing to some definite plan. No practiced writer sets down 
the thoughts that come into his mind in exactly the order in 
which they chance to present themselves. They must be 
arranged so as to appear to the best advantage. But this is 
no easy matter. It requires care and study. There are four 
plans that may be followed. 

I. The Order of Time. If the purpose of the explanation 
is to outline some general process, such as the manufacture 
of lumber or the playing of a game, you can best use the 
order of time. In telling how lumber is manufactured, for 
instance, you would naturally tell how the logs are cut and 
carried to the mill, how they are placed on the carriage to 
be sawed, how the sticks of timber pass to the edging ma- 
chine, and finally how they are placed in the kiln to be dried. 
Each step in the process is told in the order in which it oc- 
curs in reality. 

Example. Irving wishes to explain how Christmas is 
observed in rural England. Look through the last three 
essays on Christmas, and observe the order in which he tells 
the different events. He throws the whole explanation into 
the form of a story which continues through the three essays. 

Exercise. Make out a list of at least half a dozen points 
that could be used in explaining each of the subjects below. 
Arrange them in the order of time. 

1. How I Make Fudge 

2. What to Do in Case of a Fire 

3. How Baseball is Played 



EXPOSITION 429 

4. How Cotton is Ginned 

5. How Tobacco is Made Ready for the Market 

6. The Harvesting of Wheat 

7. The Training of a Saddle Horse 

8. The Care of a Slight Wound 

9. A Day in School 

10. The Daily Duties of a Grocery Clerk. 

II. Place Related Points Together. It is impossible to 
use the order of time in all cases. You might arrange in 
order of time the points of a theme on " How to Play Base- 
ball/' but this would be altogether impossible in the case of a 
theme on " The Advantages of Baseball/' Themes that have 
as their purpose the assigning of reasons why, or the explan- 
ation of certain terms, can seldom, if ever, be arranged in the 
order of time. In themes of this kind it is best to place 
together those points that are in some way related to one 
another. The reader should never be forced to jump from 
one topic to another entirely different. 

Exercise. Make out a list of the points that could best 
be used in explaining each of the subjects that follow. Ar- 
range the related points together. 

1. Why I Joined the Literary Society 

2. Superstition Among the Negroes 

3. The Value of Reading the Magazines 

4. The Pleasures of Vacation 

5. Why I Want to Go to College 

Theme XIV. Write a theme of 400 words on one of 
these subjects. 

Theme XV. From one of the lists of points which you 
made out in the preceding exercise, prepare to speak three 
minutes in class. 

III. Important Points First and Last. The beginning 
and the end are the two most important places. The reason 
for this is that at the beginning and the end the reader or 



43° EXPOSITION 

hearer is more likely to be attentive. Therefore, these are 
the places for the points that you wish to stress most 
strongly ; of the two places, the end calls for more emphasis 
than the beginning. 

Theme XVI. There are several means by which people 
protect themselves from mosquitoes — by nets, by window 
and door screens, by smoke, and by drugs that the insects 
dislike. Write a theme on the subject, " The Best Means 
of Protection from Mosquitoes. " Point out the advantages 
of the several means of protection. Save the best means to 
be discussed last. Begin with the next best. 

Theme XVII. Write on the subject, " Advantages to 
the Housewife of Running Water in the Kitchen." Save 
the best point till the last. 

IV. The Order of Climax. A fourth method of ar- 
rangement is that of climax. Here the writer starts with 
his least important point, passes from this to the one of 
greater importance, and so on till he reaches the most im- 
portant of all. Observe, the most important point is always 
reserved for the last. As we see, the purpose of the climax 
is to leave the strongest possible impression on the reader's 
mind. 

Exercises. I. Select a series of points for a theme on 
each of the subjects that follow. Arrange them according 
to the third plan, placing your most important point last, the 
next in importance, first, and those of less importance in the 
middle of the list. 

i. How I Should Spend a Thousand Dollars to Benefit 
Five People 

2. The Advantages Offered by Life in the Country 

3. Why a Girl Should Study Domestic Science 

4. The Uses of a Pocket Knife 

5. The Advantages to Health of Good Drainage 

6. The Purpose of a Sewing Circle 



EXPOSITION 431 

7. Why Coal Makes a Better Fuel than Wood 

8. The Purpose of an Athletic Association 

9. Useful Cotton Products 

10. What I Have Learned from the Study of Agricul- 
ture. 

II. Rearrange your points in the order of climax and 
compare the lists. Consider which order is preferable for a 
theme on each subject. 

Theme XVIII. Write a theme of 300 words on one of 
the above subjects. 

Additional Themes. 1. How Insects Convey Disease 

2. The Care of a Sick Room 

3. Birds that Should be Protected 

by Game Laws 

4. Agencies for Rural Improvement 

(Good Roads, Parcel Post, 
Rural Delivery, etc.) 

5. A Profitable Means of Spending 

a Vacation. 

Summary of Exposition 

Exposition is explanation. Its purpose is to give informa- 
tion. In writing an exposition you should know your sub- 
ject and express your thoughts clearly. You may explain a 
subject unfamiliar to the reader by the use of examples and 
comparison. 

An exposition may consist of a sentence, a paragraph, ot 
a composition of any length necessary to the full develop- 
ment of the subject. 

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the gist of 
a paragraph. A theme sentence is a sentence that expresses 
the gist of a composition. 

You may secure information for themes from observation^ 
from inquiry, and from reading. 



43 2 EXPOSITION 

Select only points that bear directly upon a subject. 
These should be fully developed and arranged according to 
the nature of the subject. Four plans of arrangement: 
(i) order of time, (2) related subjects placed together, (3) 
important points placed first and last for emphasis, (4) the 
order of climax. 






XIV 
ARGUMENT 

Definition. Argument is either proving the truth or 
falsity of a proposition, or showing that one side of a ques- 
tion offers more advantages than another. Exposition aims 
to give a general explanation of a subject, while argument 
deals with only one side of it. Note, by the way, that argu- 
ment is based upon the assumption that there are certain 
questions on which two reasonable persons may hold differ- 
ent opinions. 

What Argument Is Not. I. An argument is not merely 
an assertion or a denial. Every statement that is made must 
be followed by proof. For instance, it is not enough to say 
that schools should encourage football because it makes boys 
healthy. To prove this point you should show 1 that it de- 
velops the muscles and strengthens the organs of the body. 
A simple statement of a point is worth nothing unless it is 
supported by proof. 

2. Argument is not a short, sharp answer. You may 
sometimes embarrass an opponent by a shrewd or pointed 
reply that has nothing to do with the question. Or you may 
make a personal remark that will cause him to appear 
ridiculous. It need hardly be said that this sort of tactics is 
unfair. The question should be argued on its merits. 

The Paragraph Argument 

Argument Used Every Day. Argument is not neces- 
sarily a formal debate. It is something which you have 

433 



434 ARGUMENT 

occasion to use every day in order to make clear to your 
parents or friends why you do certain things or hold certain 
opinions. So it is that persons are constantly giving their 
reasons without realizing that they are conducting an argu- 
ment. 

Further Explaining the Subject. In a short argument 
one may often prove one's point by further explaining the 
subject. A son, for example, gave as his reason for not re- 
turning home till ten o'clock at night that he was attending 
his literary society. His father, knowing that the literary 
society usually met in the afternoon, was dissatisfied with 
this answer. When, however, his son explained that the 
president had called a special meeting of the society to trans- 
act important business that could not wait till morning, 
his father was easily satisfied. The explanation served as 
proof. 

Oral Exercise. Give further information about each of 
the statements that follow, so as to make them convincing : 

1. I do not want to go to school to-day. 

2. Football is a better game for the player than tennis. 

3. Every farmer ought to raise his own meat. 

4. A garden is a paying investment. 

5. I want to study Latin. 

Stating' Undeniable Facts. Often a point may be con- 
clusively proved by simply stating a fact that cannot be 
denied. This may be some fact of history, science, or 
mathematics, that has been proved beyond the shadow of 
doubt, or it may be a quotation from some person who is 
able to give expert information. All such facts are proofs ; 
and sometimes one fact is enough to prove a point. For 
instance, you can prove that it is useless to carry an umbrella 
at night as a protection from dew, by quoting a state- 
ment from physiography that dew does not fall from the 
heavens. 



ARGUMENT 435 

Oral Exercise. In like manner prove each of the follow- 
ing: 

i. George Washington never used a telephone. 

2. In the Civil War more men enlisted on the Northern 

than on the Southern side. 

3. In ancient times, a semi-civilized race of people in- 

habited a part of .North America. 

4. The moon exercises control over the tides. 

5. Washington Irving spent a part of his life in Eng- 

land. 

6. The American colonists knew nothing about mowing 

machines or cotton gins. 

The Argumentative Composition 

Argument by a Series of Points. You are no doubt 
familiar with arguments in which it is necessary to prove 
more than a single point. The plea of a lawyer often con- 
sists of a number of points; and the same thing is true of 
most argumentative sermons and of debates. Now, the 
development and the arrangement of these points furnish 
the problem of the argumentative composition. 

A Debatable Subject. The subject of an argument must 
be debatable, that is, it must be a question to which there 
are two sides. It is useless to try to debate a question such 
as " Honesty is the Best Policy/' because this is a truth that 
people have long since agreed upon. On the other hand, the 
question, " Should Women be Allowed to Vote? " is one on 
which two reasonable persons may well hold opposite opin- 
ions ; it is debatable. 

Exercise. Discuss the appropriateness of each of the fol- 
lowing questions as subjects for argument: 

1. The City Should Keep its Streets Clean. 

2. All Children between the Ages of Ten and Fourteen 

Ought to be Taught to Read. 



. 436 ARGUMENT 

3. All Children between the Ages of Seven and Four- 

teen Should be Forced to Go to School. 

4. The Telephone is a Great Convenience to the Farmer. 

5. Flies Spread Diseases. 

The Statement of the Question. Every question for dis- 
cussion should be so clearly stated that there can be no pos- 
sible misunderstanding as to where the ground of difference 
lies. It sometimes happens that two persons argue for hours 
only to find that they have been arguing on the same side of 
the question. Subjects for argument usually take the form : 
(1) of a declarative statement, such as, "Every School 
Should Have an Athletic Field"; or (2) a question, such 
as, " Should Every School Have an Athletic Field? " ; or (3) 
a resolution, such as, "Resolved: That Every School 
Should Have an Athletic Field." 

Exercise. Frame a question suitable for debate on each 
of the following subjects: 

1. Woman's Suffrage 

2. Athletic Contests with Other Schools 

3. Prohibition 

4. Permitting the Negro to Vote 

5. Rotation of Crops. 

Knowledge of the Subject. Never undertake to argue a 
question until you have studied it carefully, not only from 
your point of view, but also from the point of view of your 
opponent. If you know your opponent's side of the ques- 
tion, you are prepared for any argument he is likely to ad- 
vance. 

How to Inform Yourself. In arguing any important 
question do not place too much trust in what you already 
know about it. Go to the books that have been written on 
the subject and to the magazines that discuss it; read every- 
thing you can find that bears in any way upon it. Ask peo- 



ARGUMENT 437 

pie who are supposed to know about it. From such sources 
you are sure to find much material. 

Explain the Subject. After you have stated the ques- 
tion, your first duty is to explain such terms as require ex- 
planation. For instance, in the question, "Resolved: 
That America Should Subsidize Her Merchant Marine," 
there are two terms which are unfamiliar to many people, 
subsidize and marine. If you were debating this question, 
your first task should be to explain what is meant by these 
terms. Simple terms in the statement, however, require 
little or no explanation. In preparing a debate on woman's 
suffrage, for example, it would be a waste of time to make a 
lengthy explanation of what woman's suffrage means. 

The Point of Issue. The point of issue in an argument 
is the ground of difference. A plain statement of the ques- 
tion ought to define clearly the two sides so that there can be 
no doubt as to the point on which the question hinges. 

Argument by Points. There are few large questions that 
can be settled by giving a single reason. Usually several 
distinct reasons can be given for or against any debatable 
proposition. These should be taken up separately and deait 
with completely before they are dismissed. In every case, 
the reason should be followed, if possible, by proof sufficient 
to convince a reasonable person. 

Selection of Points. In argument, just as in every other 
form of discourse, attention must be paid to the selection of 
material. Time and space seldom permit the bringing out of 
every possible point. And, since there are many points that 
do not have much weight, it is best to select carefully the 
strongest points and leave out the others. The time and 
space that would be given to the development of minor 
points can be better spent in enlarging the more important. 
The multiplication of weak points is not likely to strengthen 
your argument. 



43§ ARGUMENT 

Arrangement of Points. Is it necessary to remind you 
that the points of the argument should be arranged in the 
way that will best impress the reader or hearer? Before 
beginning to write, weigh your points with a view to placing 
the strongest emphasis upon the most important. Since, as 
we have seen, the beginning and the end are the places most 
likely to have the attention of the reader or hearer, your two 
best points should occupy these places. The order of climax 
is also a good form of arrangement. 

Exercises, (a) Weigh the points in defence of the fol- 
lowing proposition and arrange them in the order of climax : 
Resolved: That Boarding Schools Should not Give 
Holiday Christmas. 

1. Students bring diseases back to school. 

2. They lose time in preparing for the holidays. 

3. Their school duties become disorganized. 

4. They are homesick for several days after their 

return. 

5. The usual holiday is too long. 

6. They bring back sweet-meats which make them 

sick. 

(b) Prepare a series of points in defence of the negative 
side of the question and arrange them in the order of climax. 

(c) Rearrange the points in the following proposition in 
the order of climax: 

Our High School Should Play Football. 

1. The game develops strong muscles. 

2. It develops manliness among the boys. 

3. It makes a boy alert and active. 

4. Planning of plays exercises the mind. 

5. The dangers are few in comparison with the ad- 

vantages. 

6. It encourages a strong school spirit among the 

pupils. 



ARGUMENT 439 

(d) Prepare a series of points in defence of the negative 
side of the question and arrange them properly. 

Development of Points. Each point must be developed 
separately and completely. None should be stated that you 
are unable to prove. The development should consist of 
such explanation as is necessary to make clear the point 
you have asserted, and of the proof necessary to establish 
it. 

Space to Devote to Each. In a short argument, a para- 
graph is enough space to devote to each point. Sometimes, 
however, where the proof of one or two points would prove 
the entire question, nearly all the space should be devoted to 
these points, and each may cover several paragraphs. 

The importance of a point should determine the amount 
of space to be devoted to it. Two or three points may some- 
times be given in a single paragraph ; but this plan should not 
interfere with the complete development of each. 

The Conclusion. After the last point has been made, it 
is best to sum up the points you have made. You should 
refer to every one of them, but you need not use the exact 
words used when they were stated for discussion. In 
this summary be careful not to sum up any points that have 
not been proved. As to the conclusion, be brief. 

Use the following plan in writing an argument on one 
of the theme subjects in the list below : 

1. State the question clearly. 

2. Inform yourself thoroughly on the subject. 

3. Explain any terms that are not familiar. 

4. Make out a list of points. 

5. Arrange them properly. 

6. Develop each as fully as space will permit, allowing 
greater space to the more important. 

7. Sum up your points in the conclusion. 
Theme I. You Should Join our Literary Society. 



44° ARGUMENT 

Theme II. The Farmer's Life is Better than the Mer- 
chant's. 

Theme III. At Present I Prefer Working to Going to 
School (or the opposite). 

Theme IV. Agriculture is a More Useful Study than 
Latin. 

Theme V. It is Better for a Boy to Go Away to a 
Boarding School than to Attend the Local High School 
(or the opposite). 

The Debate 

The Sides. In a debate two persons or groups of per- 
sons agree to take opposite sides of a question. The ob- 
ject of a debate is to prove to a judge or to some dis- 
interested party of persons that one side of the question 
is stronger than the other. The two sides of the question 
are known as the affirmative and the negative. 

The Question. In the debate, as in every form of argu- 
ment, the first step in preparation is to choose a debatable 
question, and to have it so stated that there can be no doubt 
as to what each side is expected to prove. The question 
is usually stated in the form of a resolution. For example, 
Resolved: That Public Schools Should Give Holiday 
on Monday instead of Saturday. 

Importance of Being Informed on the Subject. There 
are few questions suitable for debate that the average high 
school pupil is able to discuss without first informing him- 
self concerning them. You should never enter an argument 
without having first exhausted every source of information. 
As men do in public life, watch the news-papers, and go to 
the bound volumes of the magazines for your data. Read 
on both sides of the question, so that your opponent cannot 
surprise you with an unexpected argument. 

Refuting an Opponent's Argument. The debater is con- 



ARGUMENT 44* 

cerned not only in bringing out points on his side of the 
question, but in contradicting the points which his opponent 
brings out. If you can prove that your opponent's point 
does not concern the question, that it is of no importance, 
or that it is weak in comparison with one of your own. 
you have refuted his argument. You may insert your 
refutation in the middle of your speech, or you may give 
it at the beginning. The latter method is usually to be pre- 
ferred. 

Two Plans of Preparation. There are two plans of pre- 
paring a debate. First, the debater may write his argu- 
ment and memorize it. Second, he may inform himself 
thoroughly on the question, make out a list of points and 
arrange them properly on a card or a small piece of paper, 
and then prepare to discuss each of them without writing 
down the details of the discussion. 

Advantages of the Discussion from Notes. The latter 
plan offers several advantages. It teaches you how to think 
on your feet, an accomplishment that every one should 
acquire. It leaves you free to talk at will on your subject 
without fear of " forgetting the place/' It offers you the 
opportunity to refute an opponent's argument more in detail 
than the set speech would permit. 

Emphasis of Points. The arrangement of points should 
follow the same plan as that outlined for an argument 
on page 439. The most important point should by all means 
come last. It should be repeated, " hammered on," and 
emphasized as much as possible. Other important points 
should receive proportionate emphasis. 

Note to the Teacher : The class may, at this time, spend to ad- 
vantage several weeks preparing written and oral debates. This 
should be a daily task. The teacher may lighten his duties by alter- 
nating written and oral assignments. The questions here stated are 
merely suggestive. Live civic and industrial questions of local 
interest form the very best subjects for debate. 



442 ARGUMENT 

Theme VI. Resolved: That the Public Drinking Cup 
Should be Forbidden by Law. 

Select either side, as your teacher may direct. Read all 
you can find on the subject. Prepare to discuss the question 
from notes. 

Theme VII. Resolved: That the State Should Furnish 
Books for All Pupils in the Public Schools. 

Your teacher may give you hints for points on this ques- 
tion or tell you where to secure information. Discuss the 
question from notes. Place your most important point last 
and " hammer it in." 

Theme VIII. Resolved: That the Children Should be 
Allowed to Ride Bicycles and to Skate on the Sidewalks of 
this Town. 

This question can best be debated by the pupils in schools 
of large towns. 

Theme IX. Resolved: That Farm Life Offers to the 
Average Man more Pleasure and Profit than any other 
Profession Offers. 

Write this argument in detail. If the question is de- 
bated in class, each debater should have a few moments 
to refute his opponent's argument before he begins his own 
written argument. 

Theme X. Resolved: That Girls should be Taught 
Cooking and Needle Work instead of Languages. 

Write this argument. 

Theme XI. Resolved: That the Sale of Intoxicating 
Liquors Should be Prohibited in this State. 

Theme XII. Resolved: That the Legislature Should 
Provide for the Care of those Afflicted with Tuberculosis. 

Theme XIII. Resolved: That Industrial Schools 
Should be Established for Negroes. 



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Treatment Date: Oct. 2006 

PreservationTechnoIogies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

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